National Trends in Gender Diversity Among Trainees and Practicing Physicians in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery in Canada

Abstract

uring the past several decades, there has been a shift in the representation of women in the medical workforce at various stages of training, from medical school applicants to practicing physicians. In 2019, 56% of the Canadian medical class were female, an increase from 44% in 1990. 1 Similarly, in 2000, only 28% of all practicing physicians were female, and nearly 20 years later that proportion has increased to 43%. 2,3 It has been estimated that by 2030, the physician gender distribution will be evenly split among women and men. 4 Such a rapid paradigm shift is a relatively new phenomenon; the medical profession is slowly adjusting to a generational change in gender mentality and reordering of priorities, especially among women. 5 However, gender inequity in the medical profession is still a pressing issue given that women continue to encounter considerable differences during their training and in the workplace, including gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, career penalties associated with maternity leave, and gender-based pay differentials. [6][7][8][9][10][11] Although it is evident that the overall gender gap in medicine may be slowly closing, this same trend is not observed in all areas of medicine, particularly in surgical specialties. In 2019, only 30% of surgical specialists were female compared with 47% of general practitioners. 12 Women in surgical specialties experience lower recruitment and career advancement opportunities, lower residency completion rates, and higher rates of gender discrimination in the workplace. 6,13,14 IMPORTANCE Monitoring the evolution of gender diversity within medicine is essential to understanding the medical workforce and anticipating its future.OBJECTIVE To evaluate gender distribution and trends among trainees and practicing physicians in the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS) across Canada. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis cross-sectional study collected demographic data on the Canadian population, medical students, resident physicians, fellows, practicing physicians, and full-time professors from the following publicly available databases: the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry, the Canadian Medical Education Statistics from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association Masterfile, the Canadian Resident Matching Service archives, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information from 2000 to 2019. Information about the gender distribution in leadership positions and fellowships was obtained through publicly available websites where gender was either listed or assigned by authors. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESThe primary outcomes were the proportion of women in OHNS and the evolution of gender diversity over time. RESULTSIn 2019, 65 of 155 of OHNS trainees were female (41.9%), whereas female representation among all surgical trainees combined was 1225 of 2496 (49.1%). Female OHNS trainees and practicing physicians are underrepresented despite a 13.3% increase in female trainees and a 14.3% increase...

Gender differences in publication rates at Canadian Society of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery annual meetings: An 11-year analysis

“…The number of women in otolaryngology in Canada has increased by 10% from 2000 to 2019 [ 3 ], but women are still compensated less [ 21 ], underrepresented in journal editorial boards [ 22 ], and have lower research productivity [ 23 ]. This study’s findings suggest that despite this gap, time to publication after presentation and the impact factor of journal of publication did not differ between the sexes.…”

“…Women comprise approximately 50% of graduating medical students, but women account for only 10% of full professors in academic surgery [ 2 ]. When considering otolaryngology, female representation in Canadian Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) residency programs has increased from 28.6% in 2000 to 41.9% in 2019 [ 3 ]. In 2019, females accounted for 52.9% of all OHNS residents and fellows in Canada [ 3 ], demonstrating promising improvements in gender representation within OHNS.…”

“…When considering otolaryngology, female representation in Canadian Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) residency programs has increased from 28.6% in 2000 to 41.9% in 2019 [ 3 ]. In 2019, females accounted for 52.9% of all OHNS residents and fellows in Canada [ 3 ], demonstrating promising improvements in gender representation within OHNS. Despite this, in the United States and Canada, females are significantly underrepresented in academic otolaryngology leadership positions, including academic chairs, and professors [ 3 – 6 ].…”

“…In 2019, females accounted for 52.9% of all OHNS residents and fellows in Canada [ 3 ], demonstrating promising improvements in gender representation within OHNS. Despite this, in the United States and Canada, females are significantly underrepresented in academic otolaryngology leadership positions, including academic chairs, and professors [ 3 – 6 ]. Further evidence for the widespread gender inequity in medicine is seen through research productivity and underrepresentation of women as conference speakers and research grant recipients [ 6 – 8 ].…”

“…Subsequent publications are associated with overall career success, academic career advancement [ 11 ], and play a major role in obtaining grants [ 12 , 13 ]. Historically, men compromise the majority of academic otolaryngologists and have higher research productivity than their female counterparts with a greater number of publications and citations [ 3 , 14 ]. The annual Canadian Society of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (CSOHNS) meeting is the largest national Canadian otolaryngology meeting, attracting thousands of attendees every year.…”