Gender Disparity in Surgery: An Evaluation of Surgical Societies

Lyons, Nicole B.; Bernardi, Karla; Huang, Lillian M.; Holihan, Julie L.; Cherla, Deepa V.; Martin, Alexander C.; Milton, Alexis; Loor, Michele M.; Ko, Tien C.; Liang, Mike K.; Hydo, Lynn J.

doi:10.1089/sur.2018.220

Cited by 41 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Data from the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) also shows that the proportion of female general surgery residents and surgeons has increased from 18.0% in 2000-2005 to 34.6% in 2016-2017, and 15.0% in 2000-2005 to 24.0% respectively, although women in leadership remains greatly underrepresented. [70] Thus, despite these positive developments, the overwhelming negative evidence reminds readers that gender bias stands to be a deeply concerning phenomenon in surgery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The unspoken reality of gender bias in surgery: A qualitative systematic review

et al. 2021

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Objective This study was conducted to better understand the pervasive gender barriers obstructing the progression of women in surgery by synthesising the perspectives of both female surgical trainees and surgeons. Methods Five electronic databases, including Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection, were searched for relevant articles. Following a full-text review by three authors, qualitative data was synthesized thematically according to the Thomas and Harden methodology and quality assessment was conducted by two authors reaching a consensus. Results Fourteen articles were included, with unfavorable work environments, male-dominated culture and societal pressures being major themes. Females in surgery lacked support, faced harassment, and had unequal opportunities, which were often exacerbated by sex-blindness by their male counterparts. Mothers were especially affected, struggling to achieve a work-life balance while facing strong criticism. However, with increasing recognition of the unique professional traits of female surgeons, there is progress towards gender quality which requires continued and sustained efforts. Conclusion This systematic review sheds light on the numerous gender barriers that continue to stand in the way of female surgeons despite progress towards gender equality over the years. As the global agenda towards equality progresses, this review serves as a call-to-action to increase collective effort towards gender inclusivity which will significantly improve future health outcomes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The unspoken reality of gender bias in surgery: A qualitative systematic review

et al. 2021

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“…In 1980, almost one-quarter of the surgeons were female and since then it has increased up to 35%. 8 Despite this growth, the share of female surgeons in the field of transplantation remains low. To illustrate, in Germany the proportion of female transplant surgeons is approximately 13% and in the USA this is only 10%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Disparities in Authorships and Citations in Transplantation Research

Benjamens

Berg

Pol

2020

Transplantation Direct

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Background. Over the past decades, there has been a rapid change in the gender ratio of medical doctors, whereas gender differences in academia remain apparent. In transplantation research, a field already understaffed with female doctors and researchers, there is little published data on the development in proportion, citations, and funding of female researchers over the past years. Methods. To evaluate the academic impact of female doctors in transplantation research, we conducted a bibliometric analysis (01 January 1999 to 31 December 2018) of high-impact scientific publications, subsequent citations, and funding in this field. Web of Science data was used in combination with software R-Package “Gender,” to predict gender by first names. Results. For this study, 15 498 (36.2% female; 63.8% male) first and 13 345 (30.2% female; 69.8% male) last author gender matches were identified. An increase in the percentage of female first and last authors is seen in the period 1999–2018, with clear differences between countries (55.1% female authors in The Netherlands versus 13.1% in Japan, for example). When stratifying publications based on the number of citations, a decline was seen in the percentage of female authors, from 34.6%–30.7% in the first group (≤10 citations) to 20.8%–23.2% in the fifth group (>200 citations), for first (P < 0.001) and last (P = 0.014) authors, respectively. From all first author name-gender matches, 6574 (41.6% female; 58.4% male, P < 0.001) publications reported external funding, with 823 (35.5% female; 64.5% male, P = 0.701) reported funding by pharmaceutical companies and 1266 (36.6% female; 63.4% male, P < 0.001) reporting funding by the National Institutes of Health. Conclusions. This is the first analysis of gender bias in scientific publications, subsequent citations, and funding in transplantation research. We show ongoing differences between male and female authors in citation rates and rewarded funding in this field. This requires an active approach to increase female representation in research reporting and funding rewarding.

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“…[ 102 ] High income United States Cross-sectional analysis n = 10 Public-Sponsored 2019 Gender Disparity in Surgery: An Evaluation of Surgical Societies. [ 103 ] High income United States Cross-sectional analysis n = 587 (135/452) 23% Not reported 2019 Gender representation in leadership roles in UK surgical societies. [ 3 ] High income United Kingdom Cross-sectional analysis n = 20,803 (2446/18,357) 12% No funding 2019 Is there a gender bias in the advancement to SAGES leadership?…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experiences of female surgeons around the world: a scoping review

Xepoleas

Munabi²,

Auslander

et al. 2020

Hum Resour Health

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Introduction The Lancet Commission for Global Surgery identified an adequate surgical workforce as one indicator of surgical care accessibility. Many countries where women in surgery are underrepresented struggle to meet the recommended 20 surgeons per 100,000 population. We evaluated female surgeons’ experiences globally to identify strategies to increase surgical capacity through women. Methods Three database searches identified original studies examining female surgeon experiences. Countries were grouped using the World Bank income level and Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI). Results Of 12,914 studies meeting search criteria, 139 studies were included and examined populations from 26 countries. Of the accepted studies, 132 (95%) included populations from high-income countries (HICs) and 125 (90%) exclusively examined populations from the upper 50% of GGGI ranked countries. Country income and GGGI ranking did not independently predict gender equity in surgery. Female surgeons in low GGGI HIC (Japan) were limited by familial support, while those in low income, but high GGGI countries (Rwanda) were constrained by cultural attitudes about female education. Across all populations, lack of mentorship was seen as a career barrier. HIC studies demonstrate that establishing a critical mass of women in surgery encourages female students to enter surgery. In HICs, trainee abilities are reported as equal between genders. Yet, HIC women experience discrimination from male co-workers, strain from pregnancy and childcare commitments, and may suffer more negative health consequences. Female surgeon abilities were seen as inferior in lower income countries, but more child rearing support led to fewer women delaying childbearing during training compared to North Americans and Europeans. Conclusion The relationship between country income and GGGI is complex and neither independently predict gender equity. Cultural norms between geographic regions influence the variability of female surgeons’ experiences. More research is needed in lower income and low GGGI ranked countries to understand female surgeons’ experiences and promote gender equity in increasing the number of surgical providers.

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Gender Disparity in Surgery: An Evaluation of Surgical Societies

Cited by 41 publications

References 12 publications

The unspoken reality of gender bias in surgery: A qualitative systematic review

The unspoken reality of gender bias in surgery: A qualitative systematic review

Gender Disparities in Authorships and Citations in Transplantation Research

The experiences of female surgeons around the world: a scoping review

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