What can be done to increase diversity in STEM fields?
There is no question that more effort needs to be placed on increasing opportunities in STEM for people of color and women. I’ve seen success with a few tactics to increase diversity, including:
- Visibility: Being able to spotlight role models and foster mentorship in schools and the workplace, as it’s difficult to be what you can’t see.
- Taking action: Establishing more associations and programs for proactive engagement with underrepresented groups that guide them throughout their career, not just in the beginning. These can be in the form of co-ops and internships during training and mentorships as part of career development. It is also key to emphasize the importance of cultivating a life-long network.
- Source and Fix: We need to continue to be vigilant and keep an eye on data to ensure we understand where and why we may be falling behind and identify what we can do to progress in the right way.
In engineering, while numbers of women have slowly and steadily improved over the last 50 years in the US, when you look at the job roles, a significant number of women are leaving or never entering engineering fields. Unfortunately, they aren’t promoted and remain underrepresented in leadership or end up in nontechnical roles. This is the type of data we need to focus on to improve. In medicine, we also see a steady increase of women outnumbering men in medical school seen in 2017 in the US, however, there are specialty fields such as pulmonary disease, general surgery and orthopedic surgery where women remain underrepresented.
What can be done to move women forward in STEM?
One of the most important things we can do overall is to change the perception of DEI specifically in STEM workplaces. It’s important to raise awareness of the value of diversity in STEM fields and that there is a demand at every career stage including senior levels with final decision-making and budgetary power. For example, a recent study showed female patients prefer and have better outcomes with female doctors. We should continue to be more active in shining a light on this need.
At West, we have seen success in providing support annually to programs such as West Chester University’s Women in STEM program and similar organizations at the high school level. In addition, we have internship opportunities for underrepresented groups. Through this, a medical student from Howard University recently interned for West and was able to learn about medical device development before returning to her clerkships.
Lastly, we should understand why women leave STEM fields for other careers or take on administrative roles. We should focus on how our community can champion them throughout their careers and life milestones, such as motherhood, for optimal work-life harmony. It’s important to have strong collaborations and partnership between government and businesses, non-profits, universities, and professional groups – as these can be instrumental in identifying multiple paths forward and giving support along the way.
