10 Recommendations to Enhance Recruitment, Retention, and Career Advancement of Women Cardiologists

Who Decided Cardiology Was a Man's Job? The Future of Cardiovascular Medicine and Why Women Are Key

“…This will require that a deeply rooted system embraces change, including many of the recommendations outlined in Table 1. 4 Since 2015, the Association of American Medical Colleges has commissioned annual updates of national physician workforce projections. 9 The most recent report concluded that physician demand will outpace supply, resulting in a projected shortfall of between 46,900 and 121,900 physicians by 2032.…”

“…14 Sharma et al have addressed the challenges program directors and female trainees face with regard to the lack of funding for parental leave, workforce needs, the need to subsidize extended training, and meeting educational goals. 4 The authors suggest that program directors should provide more flexible training pathways with individualized and innovative learning plans. They also recommend that accreditation agencies provide parental leave policies across the medical education continuum and implore the possible need to extend training (the ACGME allows only 20 days off per year), suggesting that videobased methods could fulfill their educational requirements.…”

“…Pregnancy and maternity leave have been recurring themes in the professional life surveys conducted by the WIC Section of the ACC 16 and are addressed in detail by Sharma et al, along with advocation for paternity leave. 4 This latter point, if universally adopted for both trainees and staff, could change some of the negative attitudes, particularly in dual working couples and create a "new normal." The WIC Pregnancy Workforce Group conducted an anonymous survey addressing the effect of issues related to family planning on the choice of a cardiology career to better understand ways of improving the situation or to effect reform.…”

“…Sharma et al address this problem, which is perhaps one of the easiest to remedy. 4 Most female cardiologists become pregnant during their fellowship or early in their career. During interviews for fellowship or staff positions, women often are asked about pregnancy and future family planning.…”

“…In the October 2019 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, representatives of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Women in Cardiology (WIC) Leadership Council and Diversity and Inclusion Task Force published 10 broad recommendations to increase the recruitment, retention, and career advancement of female cardiologists. 4 A wide array of problem areas are targeted for change, amid an interplay of personal-, institutional-, educational-, social-, organizational-, occupational exposureÀ, cultural-, and resource-based components. It is a bold and admirable goal, and we all can agree that a greater degree of equity has been long overdue.…”