Grants Funded

Abstract

Project Summary: Promoting diversity in medicine is imperative for addressing healthcare disparities, particularly highlighted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies emphasize that diverse representation in medicine is not just advantageous but a life-saving necessity. The U.S. has seen a substantial rise in non-White populations, constituting up to 30% of the populace. Research underscores the impact of shared backgrounds between patients and physicians on health outcomes. However, medical schools and surgical training programs lack proportional representation. Plastic Surgery (PS) is one of the surgical fields that historically lags behind the rest when it comes to surgeons from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (URiM). The lack of representation in our field has potentially damaging effects that poses a great risk to equitable care and perpetuating disparities. Causes for this lack of representation have been attributed to the progressive absence of Black, Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian young learners in medical schools which then has a trickle-down effect resulting in a lack of representation in residency programs, in academic faculty positions, and leadership positions— currently the pipeline into surgery and PS are both clogged and leaking. However, within many academic institutions, bolstering pipeline and outreach programs have become a mainstay among the other conglomerate of initiatives targeted at inclusive excellence. Literature has shown that engaging with local low-income communities early provides opportunities for inspiration, science and academic enrichment, and mentorship in a way that is cognizant of financial barriers; these are all hallmarks of a successful longitudinal pipeline and outreach program. To address this, we propose EDUPlast, a Pittsburgh-based, hybrid pipeline and outreach Summer Education Series and Symposium. By targeting 11th/12th graders from low-income neighborhoods and local URiM college students, this initiative aims to enrich existing pipeline programs by expanding their curriculum with interactive, surgery-focused educational modules. Additionally, the creation of a weekend symposium will unite students, medical professionals, and the plastic surgery department, fostering engagement, mentorship, and inspiration. Establishing the EDUPlast curriculum and symposium can be a catalytic step, that ensures the future of surgery and plastic surgery mirrors the diversity of our society.

Impact Statement: Completion of our central goals will provide a key foundational pillar in our efforts to construct a robust longitudinal pipeline program to address the lack of diversity in surgery and plastic surgery here in Pittsburgh. This will also allow existing STEM-focused summer pipeline programs with a clinical, hands-on exposure opportunity they could offer their students to foster interest in surgery. Our approach is necessary and highly desired as expressed by leadership at local STEM pipeline programs. The proposed model will serve as the initial platform upon which we will strive to create an independently standing summer immersion pipeline program within our Department of Plastic Surgery to improve a known representation paucity within surgery and plastic surgery.

Biography
Dr. Carolyn De La Cruz is a full-time faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh and specializes in tertiary reconstruction. She has had extensive post-graduate training spanning 10 years in research, general surgery, and plastic surgery at Robert Wood Johnson and the University of Miami. Following the completion of her microsurgery fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2004, she established the microsurgical breast reconstruction program at Magee-Women’s Hospital of UPMC. She performs all types of breast reconstruction including free flaps, implant-based reconstruction, and fat grafting for women who have had mastectomies. Dr. De La Cruz’s mission is to give each patient specialized and individualized care. Dr. De La Cruz is also very active in training plastic surgery residents and medical students and has won numerous teaching awards for her dedication. At some point, she was the only female Hispanic plastic surgeon in the entire department. As part of Dr. De La Cruz’s clinical mission, she has recognized that specialized and individualized care sometimes is hindered by healthcare disparities. With this in mind, she created the Diversity Committee within the Department and serves as the Chair. This committee has committed itself to fostering inclusive excellence at all levels by ensuring that clinical care and clinical education are equitable, accessible, and diverse.