Since 2019, SIR Foundation’s Grants for Education of Medical Students (GEMS) Program has provided grants to ease the financial burden of visiting clerkships. Over the years, it has provided the steadily increasing number of applicants with an online curriculum that introduces underrepresented medical students to the field of interventional radiology.
SIR Foundation staff and GEMS program developers recently conducted an impact analysis of applicant and recipient demographics, to ensure that the GEMS Program continues supporting the IR community’s diversity and to expand for future participants.
Providing access to clerkships
The GEMS Program was created and launched through a generous endowment from Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, FSIR, and his family, as well as from SIR Foundation’s corporate partners, Boston Scientific, Cook Medical, Penumbra Inc., Siemens Healthineers and W. L. Gore & Associates, who matched Dr. Matsumoto’s gift. Dr. Matsumoto continues to be a key supporter of the GEMS Program, as he makes a yearly donation. Other physicians such as Minhaj Khaja, MD, MBA, FSIR, FSVM, donated in 2021, and SIR Foundation matched his gift.
The program is intended for first-generation U.S. medical students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, the LGBTQ+ community, a socioeconomically disadvantaged background, or identify as female or nonbinary. There are two application cycles per academic year, in February and June
Initially, the aim of the GEMS program was to fund visiting clerkship rotations for eligible third- and fourth-year medical students. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the visiting clerkships were postponed starting in 2020, which led to the development of the virtual curriculum. Held each fall, the 8-week virtual curriculum provides medical students with an opportunity for in-depth exploration of IR, from radiation safety to artificial intelligence. The curriculum emphasizes health equity, developing early mentoring relationships with GEMS mentors and broadening the professional network of recipients. In 2022, the curriculum also included journal clubs, group presentations and a focus on various practice types and areas of specialty. Moving forward, both visiting clerkships and virtual curriculum will remain fixtures of the GEMS Program.
All GEMS recipients receive a stipend to ease the financial burden of education-related expenses, as well as complimentary registration and a travel scholarship to attend the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting where they are highlighted at SIR Foundation’s award ceremony.
GEMS by the numbers
GEMS has grown since its 2019 launch, from three initial grants to 10 accepted applicants in each of the 2020 and 2021 application cycles. Out of 56 total applicants from 2019–2021, 23 (41%) were awarded a grant. With 96% of recipients identifying as nonwhite and 4.3% identifying as LGBTQ+, the GEMS program has reached racial and ethnic minorities in its applicant pool, but program developers believe there is room for further outreach to nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as individuals with disabilities.
Since the start of the GEMS Program, the applicant pool has consisted of 23.2% Black or African American individuals (13), 21.4% Hispanic or Latino individuals (12), 19.6% Asian individuals (11), 19.6% other/mixed race individuals (11), and 16.1% white or Caucasian individuals (9). The total 23 recipients by race comprised of eight Black or African Americans (35%), six Hispanic or Latino (26%), three Asian (13%), one white or Caucasian (4%), and five other or mixed race (22%). Over the course of 3 years, Black or African Americans have had the largest increase in applications with a 50% increase from year 1 to year 2 and a 150% increase from year 2 to year 3.
The gender breakdown for all applicants included 30 males (53.6%), 25 females (44.6%) and one gender non-binary individual (1.8%). The total recipients by gender (23) included 11 males (48%), 11 females (48%) and one gender non-binary individual (4%). While the number of male and female recipients has been largely equal per year, having only one nonbinary recipient indicates a need for further outreach to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Though the application did not explicitly ask for veteran status, six applicants identified as veterans and 83% of the veteran applicants were awarded the grant (5). Beginning in 2022, one spot will be reserved for a military veteran applicant who meets eligibility criteria.
Though disability status is not included on the application, there were no individuals with disabilities who applied to the GEMS Program, indicating a need for further expansion.
The future of GEMS
Moving forward, the GEMS Program developers aim to focus on continuing to diversify the applicant pool to increase access to more medical students. A potential solution includes creating and implementing targeted marketing campaigns that reach minority medical student applicants. This could include partnering with other medical associations and nonprofits to have them promote program application details internally to their members and on their social media channels.
Furthermore, there are opportunities for SIR Foundation to partner with SIR member physicians and researchers to promote the program amongst their networks. The SIR Underrepresented Minorities (URM), Women in IR (WIR), Resident, Fellow and Student (RFS) sections are existing infrastructures which may allow the diversity of the GEMS program to continue over time.
In addition, the GEMS program offers a unique opportunity for SIR Foundation donors to see the impact of their gifts, while making a substantial contribution to the education and success of the next generation of IR. The program has continuously evolved, and the virtual format of the GEMS curriculum has shifted the program from a clerkship opportunity to a true community.
