Surgical gender gap: a curriculum concordance and career vector perspective

Abstract

IntroductionWomen’s participation in medicine has increased dramatically during the last 50 years, yet Office for National Statistics data (2016) regarding annual pay continue to show an unequivocal 34% deficit in female doctors’ remuneration compared with their male counterparts. This study aimed to identify whether there are measurable differences in the training, career vectors and profiles of higher general surgical trainees (HSTs), related to gender.MethodThe Deanery roster supplemented with Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme and Scopus data was used to identify the profiles of 101 consecutive HSTs (38 women, 63 men, single UK deanery). Primary outcome measures were training programme attrition rate, time to completion of training and achievement of third level 4 competence (3L4C) in indicative operations. Secondary outcomes were publication number, citations and Hirsch Indices (HIs).ResultsAttrition rates were similar irrespective of gender (female n=3 (7.9%) vs male n=6 (9.5%), p=0.871). Training duration was on average 16 months longer in women (94 (72–134) months) than men (78 (72–112), p=0.002). Operative learning curve trajectories were similar; median operations required to achieve 3L4C was 380 (f) versus 410 (m, p=1.00). Academic profiles of men were stronger than women, specifically higher degrees; men (n=31, 83.8%), women (n=6, 16.2%, p=0.001); median (range) publication number 8 (0–57) versus 3 (0–38, p=0.003), citations 43 (0–1600) versus 9 (0–774, p=0.001), and HI 3 (0–26) versus 2 (0–12, p=0.002).ConclusionA complex variable gender gap was apparent related to time in training and academic profile, but not training attrition or operative learning curve trajectory.

Differential attainment in higher surgical training: scoping pan-specialty spectra

“…Women spent significantly longer in training than men (median 85, range 71–141 vs 72, range 63–108 months, p=0.003), and male gender was associated with a higher number of total publications (8 vs 5.5, p=0.004) and first-author publications (4 vs 3, p=0.002). A subsequent study by Brown et al 12 reported that that women comprised some one-third of surgical trainees over the last decade and the attrition rates from the training programme were comparable. Yet, significant and complex variable gender divergences were apparent related to time in training, subspecialty career choice and academic profile, but not operative learning curve trajectory, arguably reflecting differences in social and cultural values, and resulting in a variance in professional credentials at CCT.…”