A Mentorship and Networking Group for Women in Radiology

Abstract

THE PROBLEM: TOO FEW FEMALE ROLE MODELS IN RADIOLOGYWomen are underrepresented in radiology [1]. A 2014 study found that the percentages of female practicing radiologists (23.5%), academic radiology faculty (26.1%), radiology residents (27.8%), and radiology applicants (28.1%) were all substantially below the percentage of women graduating from medical school in the United States (48.3%) [2]. Additionally, of the twenty largest residency training programs in the US, radiology ranked ninth for overall size but only seventeenth for female representation [2].As the medical field has become increasingly diverse, radiology has failed to keep pace.Over the last four decades, the percentage of female radiologists in the United States has held steady in the low to mid-20s [2,3,4,5]. Many studies have been conducted in recent years to better understand the forces behind the apparent gendering of certain medical specialties, a term which reflects the overwhelming predominance of women in some specialties such as pediatrics and obstetrics-gynecology and men in others such as radiology and orthopedic surgery [6,7,8].Although these studies failed to reveal conclusive evidence as to the causes, they managed to uncover potential contributing factors, such as the presence of gender bias in certain specialties, cultural differences between the sexes, and the presence or lack of identifiable role models in different fields [6,7,8,9]. The forces that produce gender disparity in medical specialties are

Mentoring as an intervention to promote gender equality in academic medicine: a systematic review

“…After screening titles and abstracts, we reviewed 146 papers. A final 24 primary publications were identified for the review as well as eight review articles 13 15 22-27 : we found 20 primary observational studies [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] which were either crosssectional or before-and-after studies with no study using interrupted time series or similar analysis, and we identified four randomised controlled trials (RCTs). [48][49][50][51] We also identified 19 publications discussing mentoring in relation to gender but not meeting our eligibility criteria.…”

Is Empowerment of Female Radiologists Still Needed? Findings of a Systematic Review

“…Last, medical schools and residency programs certainly play a crucial role in closing the gender gap. Since several studies addressed the importance of mentoring in choosing a career in radiology and one even highlighted the significant impact of role models on women, we call for mentoring programs such as the one at the Massachusetts General Hospital [134] and the Women in Radiology Group at Indiana University [135].…”

A Call to Action: Radiology Must Seize Control of Its Own Narrative

“…One strategy already being practiced widely involves working with local radiology student interest groups to cosponsor career panel discussions, often featuring enthusiastic radiologists and trainees. Another important forum that is increasingly popular is the "women in radiology" career event, which features panels of female trainees, faculty, and local alumni working in a variety of practice settings [10]. Programs should also participate fully in their schools' local residency fairs and specialty speed round events, both designed to expose students to the various medical specialties.…”