A Questionnaire to Assess the Challenges Faced by Women Who Quit Working as Full-Time Neurosurgeons

Maehara, Taketoshi; Kamiya, Kazuko; Fujimaki, Takamitsu; Matsumura, Akira; Hongo, Kazuhiro; Kuroda, Satoshi; Matsumae, Mitsunori; Takeshima, Hideo; Sugo, Nobuo; Nakao, Naoyuki; Saito, Nobuhito; Ikawa, Fusao; Tamura, Noriko; Sakurada, Kaori; Shimokawa, S; Arai, Hajime; Tamura, Kaoru; Sumita, Kazutaka; Hara, Shoko; Kato, Yōkō

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2019.08.045

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…8 In fact, a survey conducted on women who left their neurosurgical positions in Japan showed that the majority left due to difficulty balancing their neurosurgical career and motherhood (52%). 9 Even early in their training, female medical students whose culture or religion emphasized the importance of women in child-rearing were found to be less likely to consider entering neurosurgery, according to a survey from a single institution in the United States. 6 Furthermore, more residents, both male and female, are leaving surgery than before and are increasingly citing lifestyle considerations as a reason.…”

Section: Contributing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women neurosurgeons around the world: a systematic review

Lulla

Hansen

Smith

et al. 2021

Neurosurgical Focus

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OBJECTIVEGender disparities in neurosurgery have persisted even as the number of female medical students in many countries has risen. An understanding of the current gender distribution of neurosurgeons around the world and the possible factors contributing to country-specific gender disparities is an important step in improving gender equity in the field.METHODSThe authors performed a systematic review of studies pertaining to women in neurosurgery. Papers listed in PubMed in the English language were collected. A modified grounded theory approach was utilized to systematically identify and code factors noted to contribute to gender disparities in neurosurgery. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows.RESULTSThe authors identified 39 studies describing the density of women neurosurgeons in particular regions, 18 of which documented the proportion of practicing female neurosurgeons in a single or in multiple countries. The majority of these studies were published within the last 5 years. Eight factors contributing to gender disparity were identified, including conference representation, the proverbial glass ceiling, lifestyle, mentoring, discrimination, interest, salary, and physical burden.CONCLUSIONSThe topic of women in neurosurgery has received considerable global scholarly attention. The worldwide proportion of female neurosurgeons varies by region and country. Mentorship was the most frequently cited factor contributing to noted gender differences, with lifestyle, the glass ceiling, and discrimination also frequently mentioned. Future studies are necessary to assess the influence of country-specific sociopolitical factors that push and pull individuals of all backgrounds to enter this field.

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Section: Contributing Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women neurosurgeons around the world: a systematic review

Lulla

Hansen

Smith

et al. 2021

Neurosurgical Focus

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“…Marital conflicts secondary to postponing pregnancy were relatively common (8.87% of BFPS reported this during fellowship), as well as quarrels about child care (reported by a quarter of BFPS). Difficulties with taking care of children affecting marital relationships have also been reported by Japanese neurosurgeons [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Family planning and parity among pediatric surgeons — it is time to confront a serious problem (a survey among Brazilian female pediatric surgeons)

et al. 2022

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Background Obstetric problems and infertility affect female surgeons. Family perspectives influence specialty choice and attrition rates. We aim to study parity, fertility, and family planning among female pediatric surgeons. A questionnaire was filled out by licensed BFPS to evaluate pregnancy/motherhood among Brazilian female pediatric surgeons (BFPS). The professionals were divided into two groups that were compared (< 40 and ≥ 40 years of age). Results Eighty-three < 40 and 91 ≥ 40-year-old BFPS were included, of which 2/3 were mothers. Most planned children after being hired as consultants. Almost a tenth (8.87%) reported marital conflicts secondary to the refusal to get pregnant. A fifth reported a high-risk pregnancy, and 12.73% had miscarriages. Half reported no adverse consequences of postponing pregnancy, but 6.9% stayed childless, 16.67% had fewer children than planned, and 10.92% needed infertility treatment. Professional problems related to pregnancy/motherhood were reported by 59.09%, and 86.36% of the women who were mothers had difficulties conciliating professional duties and motherhood. Conclusion BFPS parity was 1.38, lower than Brazilian women (mean 1.77 children/woman). Most BFPS start their families by late 30s or early 40s. Unfavorable consequences of postponing pregnancy affected a third of BFPS. Time off after pregnancy and protection during pregnancy remain problematic. A hostile environment and life-career conflicts may lead to the abandonment of the specialty.

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“…Maehara et al. 12 surveyed women who quit full-time employment as neurosurgeons in Japan and reported difficulty balancing motherhood and a neurosurgical career as the main reason for attrition. Rangel et al 13 reached similar conclusions in the US, warning that the challenges of having children during training could significantly impact the workforce.…”

Section: Family Planning and Childcarementioning

confidence: 99%

Women in neurosurgery: where does the United Kingdom stand?

Amarouche

Uberti

Evans

et al. 2021

Neurosurgical Focus

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Despite over half of medical students in the United Kingdom (UK) being female, women represent only a small proportion of the workforce in the traditional “male” specialties, including neurosurgery. There is increasing global attention to and awareness of gender discrimination in the workplace across several industries, including health care. The authors set out to explore the opinions and attitudes of UK neurosurgeons and neurosurgery trainees on gender issues via a large-scale national survey. The results highlight key perceptions and gaps in mentorship and leadership and provide ideas for change. This should be used as a foundation to delve deeper and to address specific questions in order to achieve a fairer, more meritocratic environment in which neurosurgeons can thrive.

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A Questionnaire to Assess the Challenges Faced by Women Who Quit Working as Full-Time Neurosurgeons

Cited by 24 publications

References 18 publications

Women neurosurgeons around the world: a systematic review

Women neurosurgeons around the world: a systematic review

Family planning and parity among pediatric surgeons — it is time to confront a serious problem (a survey among Brazilian female pediatric surgeons)

Women in neurosurgery: where does the United Kingdom stand?

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