Asian Representation in the US Physician Workforce

Historically and presently, Asian Americans have not routinely been considered to be underrepresented in medicine (UIM). However, while the total number of Asian American trainees and physicians has risen in recent years, disaggregated analyses by ethnic subgroup paint a more nuanced picture of Asian American representation in the modern U.S. physician workforce. Notably, several Asian ethnic subgroups remain heavily underrepresented among medical students and residents—a fact that is recognized by only a few U.S. academic institutions. These hidden disparities in representation illustrate the pitfalls of the “model minority” myth: the misconception that Asian Americans are equally well-educated, wealthy, and healthy. Moreover, Asian Americans are also heavily underrepresented among senior faculty across specialties—exemplifying the so-called “bamboo ceiling”. In this chapter, we review contemporary trends in Asian American representation among medical students, resident physicians, and faculty at academic medical centers in the United States, with Asian race disaggregated by ethnic subgroup. We conclude by offering updated guidance and recommendations to stakeholders on how best to improve Asian American representation at all levels of medical training.