Are Academic Emergency Radiologists Systematically Disadvantaged Compared With Diagnostic Radiology Subspecialty Counterparts When It Comes to Promotion?

Farid Hajibonabi; Hammad Khalid; Richard Duszak Jr; Patricia Balthazar; Seth T Lirette; Tarek N Hanna

doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2023.03.019

Are Academic Emergency Radiologists Systematically Disadvantaged Compared With Diagnostic Radiology Subspecialty Counterparts When It Comes to Promotion?

J Am Coll Radiol. 2023 Oct;20(10):1063-1071. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.03.019. Epub 2023 Jul 1.

Authors

Farid Hajibonabi¹, Hammad Khalid², Richard Duszak Jr³, Patricia Balthazar⁴, Seth T Lirette⁵, Tarek N Hanna⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address: farid.hajibonabi@emory.edu.
² Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
³ Chair, Department of Radiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi; and Chancellor, American College of Radiology.
⁴ Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
⁵ Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi.
⁶ Vice Chair for Diagnostic Imaging and Division Director of Emergency and Trauma Imaging, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.

PMID: 37400045
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2023.03.019

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess academic rank differences between academic emergency and other subspecialty diagnostic radiologists.

Methods: Academic radiology departments likely containing emergency radiology divisions were identified by inclusively merging three lists: Doximity's top 20 radiology programs, the top 20 National Institutes of Health-ranked radiology departments, and all departments offering emergency radiology fellowships. Within departments, emergency radiologists (ERs) were identified via website review. Each was then matched on career length and gender to a same-institutional nonemergency diagnostic radiologist.

Results: Eleven of 36 institutions had no ERs or insufficient information for analysis. Among 283 emergency radiology faculty members from 25 institutions, 112 career length- and gender-matched pairs were included. Average career length was 16 years, and 23% were women. The mean h indices for ERs and non-ERs were 3.96 ± 5.60 and 12.81 ± 13.55, respectively (P < .0001). Non-ERs were twice as likely as ERs (0.21 versus 0.1) to be associate professors at h index < 5. Men had nearly 3 times the odds of advanced rank compared with women (odds ratio, 2.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-8.26; P = .045). Radiologists with at least one additional degree had nearly 3 times the odds of advancing rank (odds ratio, 2.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-7.40; P = .045). Each additional year of practice increased the odds of advancing rank by 14% (odds ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.21; P < .001).

Conclusions: Academic ERs are less likely to achieve advanced rank compared with career length- and gender-matched non-ERs, and this persists even after adjusting for h index, suggesting that academic ERs are disadvantaged in current promotions systems. Longer term implications for staffing and pipeline development merit further attention as do parallels to other nonstandard subspecialties such as community radiology.

Keywords: Emergency radiology; academic; health policy and practice; promotion.

MeSH terms

Academic Medical Centers
Faculty, Medical
Female
Humans
Male
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
Radiologists
Radiology*
United States
Workforce