Diversity and perception of equity and respect in the Society of Skeletal Radiology (SSR)

PURPOSE: To assess the perception of equity and respect in the workplace and within the SSR. We hypothesized that responses would differ by gender and minorities underrepresented in medicine (URiM) status. METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to 1,531 SSR members between January 2020 and March 2020 to determine perception of equity and respect. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and analysis of differences in response by gender/minority status was performed using the Fisher’s exact test. The study was exempt from IRB approval. RESULTS: There were 176 responses (11.5%). Most respondents (61.9%) were between 30 and 50 years. Members identified as male (M) in 74.4%, as female (F) in 25.0%, and as “other” in 0.6%. URiM comprised 9.1% of members. Women worked more commonly in academia (p = 0.005), had the perception of unequal opportunities for leadership positions within the institution (p = 0.006), and emphasized the importance of having a mentor of the same gender (p = 0.001). URiM members were less likely to hold a leadership position (p = 0.1, trend), had a perception of unequal opportunities for leadership positions within the institution (p = 0.06, trend), and reported the importance of having a mentor of the same race (p = 0.06, trend). There were no significant differences between gender or URiM status and perception of the SSR to provide an inclusive environment and leadership opportunities (p ≥ 0.39). CONCLUSION: While survey participation was limited and potentially biased, respondents perceived that women and minorities have fewer opportunities and are treated with lower regard in the workplace compared to male, non-minority colleagues. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00256-021-03901-w.