Gender, age and location-related factors in academic otolaryngology – the Greek paradigm

Abstract

Objective To map Greek academic otolaryngologists, and assess gender, age and location-related differences in their rank and academic productivity. Methods A pre-established database of local and diaspora scientists was used, after adjustment and updating for otolaryngology. The following data were recorded: age, gender, academic rank, country of work, total citations and h-index of December 2022. Results A total of 276 Greek academic otolaryngologists were identified in the Scopus database. Of Greek otolaryngologists, 15.9 per cent are women. Of all academic otolaryngologists, 27.1 per cent have a university post, but only 4 per cent of them are women. There is an almost linear correlation between university post ranking and citations. Otolaryngologists based in Greece accounted for 3 out of the 10 most cited Greek otolaryngologists. Conclusion There are significant age, gender and location-related differences in academic output. The representation of women and the full use of their potential in medicine require proactive measures, to lift the burdens limiting their participation.