Table 1 Themes, sub-themes, and data exemplars from participants reflections on committee service

Time Commitment

Timing of Committee Work

“…because of my involvement in these numerous committees, my scholarly work suffered,”

“Heavy burden on me as an underrepresented minority in medicine”

“Committees take time and dedication and can be burdensome if you are not ready or willing to be an active participant on the committee.”

“There is great tension between my desire to engage with the community I serve (and belong to) and my need to attend to my clinical duties in such a way that allows time for scholarship and my personal ambitions.”

“Does not receive an adequate allotment of protected time (if any), and (2) is not accounted for in promotion tracks.”

Lack of protected time for research and scholarship

“Stretched myself too thin.”

“Does not receive an adequate allotment of protected time (if any)”

“My concern is that most of these commitments do not come with supportive time outside of academic time or count much towards promotion.”

URiM Committee Service

Expectation that the URiM person will serve on committees

“Although no one tells you to get involved, you are either thrust into a committee by default of your position, or it is covertly expected that you get involved if you want your voice heard.”

Consequences of not serving

“My first recalled experience with committee tax began in residency. This was prior to eventual gained understanding that specific committee involvement was key for advancement, but far along enough to know a refusal [to serve on a committee] would be frowned upon.”

Mentoring Issues

No mentoring regarding committee service

“Looking back, more involvement from the remainder of our faculty members, mentorship for publishing into academic journals, and use of committee involvement as a criteria for promotion and tenure would have helped to life the burden of the ‘committee tax’ from me as a URM.”

“In addition, with the demands from these committees, what gets lost is ample time for mentorship and development to ensure clinical, education, and scholarly output is maximized and sustained.”

Faculty involvement is lacking

“I did not feel equipped with the tools and resources needed to publish my work in academic journals in part, due to a lack of oversight and mentorship by faculty.”

“Out of a group of 15 core faculty there was only a consistent group of 3–4 who served on these committees, and they frequently had minimal time to meet in their schedule due to other clinical/academic commitments.”

The conflicting nature of committee work

“…my currency in academic medicine is my voice and how I use it to effect change and dismantle barriers that keep those that are historically marginalized and systemically excluded from thriving and experiencing joy and being celebrated in these spaces of learning and healing.”

“Ultimately, participation in these numerous committees with only a few core faculty at the expense of scholarly work led to fatigue and burnout as the completion of one committee task was met with the onset of another committee’s takeoff.”

“I later learned as a faculty member, when it came to promotion and advancement, scholarly activity carried more weight.”

“…it does not contribute to my ability to move further along in my career trajectory or up the proverbial academic ladder.”

Voice

Lack of Voice or

Acknowledgement

“This work defines me, and it also breaks me because this labor goes by unnoticed, unappreciated, and unacknowledged.”

“Even though I was invited to these committees and told that my unique and diverse input was highly valued, I had no role in final decision making. I was there for a figure piece, and I was there to make everyone in the room feel more comfortable.”

“We are often asked to join a committee, but our voice is not always heard, listened to or taken seriously.”

“I am still at Instructor level. I am pouring so much of myself and my talents into improving our department and institution, and this work is not recognized by promotions”