US Military Physician Workforce Diversity

Diversity in the physician workforce is recognized as a core contributor to the best provision of high-quality healthcare to a diverse patient population. This is particularly important within the Military Healthcare System, in which a predominantly active-duty military physician workforce provides care to active-duty service members, their dependents, and retirees who have unique histories of exposures and stressors impacting their health. In our review of the military physician workforce, we discuss the relative similarity between the demographic makeup of the military medical student and the civilian medical student population. Contrarily, data presented suggest a difference in the makeup of the current military physician workforce and that of the civilian physician population. In addition, we review the demographics of the military physician workforce with regard to gender and racial/ethnic diversity as compared to its closest comparable populations, such as the active-duty officer corps and the military population at large. The factors contributing to these differences are also reviewed, which are largely a result of the scholarships, recruitment methods, and policies that impact how medical students and similar prospective military physician populations can become interested in joining the United States military. Finally, we review efforts in progress and potential future avenues to improve diversity in this unique physician workforce.