We See You

Anyone with kids has likely been humming tunes from Disney’s latest flick, Encanto, for months now. In addition to its chart-topping soundtrack, the film has sparked an avalanche of (mostly positive) media recognition. If you haven’t seen it, Encanto is a wonderful depiction of the Latinx culture specific to Colombia, and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds have flooded social media with their joy at “seeing someone like me” as a main character.

That phrase, “seeing someone like me,” came up repeatedly in our roundtable discussion on mentoring with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in mind. Meeting a leader in the field who resembles you in gender, race, ethnicity, or background can have a huge impact on whether you see yourself doing that very same thing—speaking behind the podium, holding a leadership position, putting your name on a business. That’s just one reason why we must help our underrepresented colleagues make their way to the top.

The other reason is our patients. Of course, we aren’t out here saving our families from a failing magical enchantment, but we are saving our patient’s vision, and that certainly counts for something. Research shows how beneficial it can be to have clinicians who can connect with underrepresented patients; although they don’t say it, patients just might be thinking, “this doctor looks like me, I think I can trust her.”¹

Improving DE&I in retina is an ongoing process, and it’s never going to be easy (Disney doesn’t always hit the mark either). Glaring disparities remain in representation behind the podium, clinical trial participation and outcomes data, equitable pay, and even something as simple as human resource manuals.

As we work to improve these issues in our field, we must keep DE&I at the forefront of our decisions. For example, retina meetings with at least one woman on the program committee are significantly more likely to have more women faculty.² Those decisions trickle down in a meaningful way.

For this issue, we tackle some of the disparities our field is facing and applaud the many efforts underway. We wanted to give everyone a voice (alas, no one broke out in song) to share their stories and explain how they are pushing our field to do better. Our roundtable discussion brings together some of the most prominent mentors in retina, and they agree that mentoring is the key to helping underrepresented minorities succeed. Elsewhere in the issue, experts discuss the changing gender ratio behind the podium, how clinicians can handle episodes of patient distrust, and the impact of race on vison outcomes. We also asked our professional organizations and industry partners to share their recent DE&I efforts, and the resulting article is an uplifting look at what we are capable of when we all work together; it’s also an excellent resource for those of you looking to get involved.

If you have time for nothing else, read Accepting Transitions in Retina. Vivienne Hau, MD, PhD, provides a masterful look at the problems faced by the growing LGBTQIA+ population and how all of us can be more inclusive within our clinics. The inclusivity she calls for may be specific to the LGBTQIA+ community, but the kindness, patience, and understanding such a mindset creates can, and should, be applied to every interaction, no matter the cultural or gender matchup.

Change is hard, but it is necessary because a diverse and inclusive workforce is the magic that we need to ensure everyone is seen—and heard.