Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Coaching to Increase Recruitment, Retention, and Belonging

Improving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Otolaryngology residency programs and in the physician workforce has been at the forefront of many discussions. Despite these important conversations and the noted value of DEI on physician well-being and the elimination of the nation’s health inequities, there has been little improvement. The goal of this paper is to lend a personal narrative to this discussion.

Prior discussions focus on the percentage of underrepresented minorities in medicine and the strategies and best practices designed to impact these numbers. We want to discuss the impact that being underrepresented had in our journeys to medicine as well as the importance of mentorship, sponsorship, and coaching-especially from those who looked like us.

The hope is that by hearing these personal narratives there is an increase in awareness, connection, empathy, and mutual respect for the challenges faced by minorities in medicine. That this can lead to introspection and authentic engagement, which can open new opportunities for mutual understanding and provide a space for more diversity of various kinds.