Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of Royal College emergency medicine residents across Canada: a cross-sectional study.

purposeThe cultural mosaic within Canadian emergency department patient populations remains underrepresented in the medical workforce, yet minimal data exist on emergency medicine trainee demographics. This raises questions about recruitment practices and how equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility are being advanced. This study evaluates the current state of diversity and inclusion among Royal College emergency medicine residents to identify key areas of underrepresentation.

methodsA national cross-sectional survey was conducted across all programs. An online Qualtrics® questionnaire, adapted from the Canadian Resident Matching Service self-identification tool, was distributed to residents (PGY 1-5) by program directors and administrators. The survey captured gender identity, sexual orientation, racialized background, teenage household income, and disability. It was translated into French by a French-speaking author. Ethics approval was granted by the University of British Columbia research ethics board. Descriptive statistics were applied and responses were compared with 2021 Canadian Census data.

resultsWe received 227/418 responses (54.3%) from residents across all programs. Emergency medicine residents were significantly less likely to report teenage household income under $100,000 (36.1% vs. 59.6% in the Canadian population). Disability was reported by 10.1% of residents, compared to 27.0% nationally. Indigenous representation was slightly lower overall (4.0% vs. 5.0%), with the largest regional gap in the Prairies (2.5% vs. 10.6%). Visible minority representation was comparable nationally (27.4% vs. 26.5%) but varied geographically, with lower proportions in the Prairies and Ontario. Representation was higher among junior trainees, suggesting recent progress in admissions inclusivity.

conclusionThis is the first national description of the demographic and socioeconomic profile of Canadian emergency medicine residents. While some national-level metrics were encouraging, significant underrepresentation was observed in income, disability, and Indigenous identity, with notable regional disparities. Establishing this baseline enables ongoing monitoring and informs equity-focused reforms in admissions and residency training. Query ID="Q3" Text="As per the instruction, other language abstracts like ……….. are required, but are not provided. Could you please provide the other language abstracts?"