Promoting the advancement of minority women faculty in academic medicine: The National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health

Minority physicians provide care in a manner that promotes patient satisfac tion and meets the needs of an increasingly diverse U.S. population. In add ition, minority medical school faculty bring diverse perspectives to resear ch and teach cross-cultural care. However, men and women of color remain un derrepresented among medical school faculty, particularly in the higher ran ks. National data show that although the numbers of women in medicine have increased, minority representation remains essentially static. Studying min ority women faculty as a group may help to improve our understanding of bar riers to diversification. Six National Centers of Excellence in Women's Hea lth used a variety of approaches in addressing the needs of this group. Rec ommendations for other academic institutions include development of key div ersity indicators with national benchmarks, creation of guidelines for ment oring and faculty development programs, and support for career development opportunities.