July 12, 2022

Black Residents Face Higher Attrition Rates than White Counterparts

According to a new investigation by STAT News, Black medical trainees leave or are dismissed from residency or training programs at higher rates than their white peers. The result of this is that Black physicians are far less likely to enter elite, and more lucrative, branches of medicine, which perpetuates disparities.

In interviews with former residents and physicians, a common pattern appeared, which included unclear justification for termination, Black residents being denied the chance to rectify mistakes, and their white counterparts not being penalized for similar infractions. Interviewees also noted that appeals processes were risible and administrators and staff meant to assist them were of little help.

STAT News found a similar pattern of dismissal or leave rates at all levels of medicine, not just in specialties, with rates for Black family and primary care residents much higher than their white counterparts. But the worst rates were still found in elite specialties, such as neurosurgery and orthopedics. 

This is a sadly common issue and one that we have encountered before at Berke-Weiss, and we were glad to read that the subject is getting attention. With more awareness of this issue, doctors and professors are exploring ways to tell this story but also to address the underlying inequalities.

Annual Law360 Survey Shows Gender Gap in the Legal Profession Remains Wide

October 21, 2020
Gender Discrimination
Increased awareness and focus on gender disparity at law firms has done little over the last year to make gains within the profession, especially at its highest levels, reports Law360 in its annual glass ceiling survey.

Princeton to Settle in Gender Pay Inequity Case

October 13, 2020
Gender Discrimination
Officials at Princeton University have agreed to settle a case regarding pay inequities for 106 full current and former female professors as part of the conclusion of a nearly decade long federal investigation into pay disparities at the university.

Employers Should Heed Doctor’s Advice When Accommodating Workers

October 6, 2020
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According to Peeples v. Clinical Support Options, Inc., No. 3:20-CV-30144-KAR, 2020 WL 5542719 (D. Mass. Sept. 16, 2020), providing the plaintiff with a mask was insufficient accommodation, holding “a majority of these so-called accommodations are workplace safety rules rather than an individualized accommodation to address Plaintiff’s disability.”

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