ESTRO 2024 - Abstract Book

S2683

Interdisciplinary - Education in radiation therapy

ESTRO 2024

Results:

When analyzed by nationality, 95.9 % of individuals with a medical term named after them were from Western countries. Only 4.1 % of individuals with a medical term named after them were from non-Western countries, even though 79.3 % of the countries in the world, 153 out of 193, are non-Western. Only 2.2 % of individuals were from Asia even though 59.4 % of the world population lives in Asia. Only 0.4 % of individuals were from Latin American countries even though 8.2 % of the world population lives in Latin America. No medical term was named after an individual from an African country even though 18.2 % of the world population lives in Africa. When analyzed by hemisphere, 98.9 % of medical terms were named after individuals in the Northern Hemisphere. Only 1.1 % of medical terms were named after individuals from the Southern Hemisphere, even though about 12 % of the world’s population lives in the Southern Hemisphere. When analyzed by hemisphere and geo-cultural category, only one medical term, 0.2 %, was named after an individual from a non-Western country in the Southern Hemisphere. Individuals from non-Western countries and the Southern Hemisphere were underrepresented in the naming of medical terminology that medical students encounter in their medical education. Future studies are needed to investigate whether this underrepresentation in medical students’ training discourages underrepresented students from pursuing a career in medical research and more competitive specialties such as radiation oncology whether it contributes to the lower medical school graduation rates observed for underrepresented students. Furthermore, a study of whether this underrepresentation also exists in the medical terminology used in medical practice and whether it contributes to lower levels of well-being, higher rates of burnout, and worse mental health among physicians from underrepresented backgrounds. One solution to the underrepresentation in medical terminology would be to ensure that the naming of new medical terms is more representative. Another solution would be to rename medical terms named after individuals with more self-explanatory terms which might also reduce some of the communication barriers between physicians and patients. More research related to medical terminology is necessary to determine the best path toward creating a more representative, inclusive, diverse, and equitable learning and practice environment. Conclusion:

Keywords: Education, Underrepresentation, Diversity

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