African-Americans in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Factors Affecting Career Choice, Satisfaction and Practice Patterns

Publication date: Available online 12 August 2017
Source:Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Author(s): Thalia-Rae Criddle, Newton C. Gordon, George Blakey, R. Bryan Bell
IntroductionThere is little data available on experience of minority surgeons in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery(OMS). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to: 1) explore factors that contribute to African-Americans choosing OMS as a career; 2) examine satisfaction among minority oral and maxillofacial surgeons with the residency application and training process; 3) report on practice patterns amongst minority oral and maxillofacial surgeons; and 4) to identify perceived bias for or against minority oral and maxillofacial surgeons in attempt to aid the efforts of OMS residency organizations to foster diversity.MethodsA 19-item survey was sent to 80 OMS practitioners using information from the National Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, an AAOMS affiliated organization, mailing list. All surveys were sent by mail and were followed by a reminder mailing after eight weeks. Responses returned within 16 weeks were accepted for analysis.ResultsOf the 80 mailed surveys, 41 returned within the 16-week parameters representing a return rate of 51%. The majority of minority surgeon respondents were married males with a mean age of 60 who work as private practitioners. Most respondents practice on the eastern and western coasts of the United States. Exposure in dental school was the most important factor in selecting OMS as a specialty. Location and prestige were the most important factors in selecting a residency program. Most respondents reported that race did not affect the success of their application to residency and does not currently affect the success of their practice. However, 25-46% of participants experienced race-related harassment and 48-55% of participants feel there is a bias against African-Americans in OMS.ConclusionsOur data suggests that a significant number of minority oral and maxillofacial surgeons subjectively perceive race-based bias in their career, although it does not appear to affect professional success.



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