Experience of Sexual Harassment among Surgeons: A Qualitative Analysis

Nayyar, Apoorve; Scarlet, Sara; Strassle, Paula D.; Bahnson, Matthew; Banos, Noely C.; Varghese, Thomas K.; Ollila, David W.; Erdahl, Lillian M.; McGuire, Kandace P.; Gallagher, Kristalyn

doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2019.08.217

Cited by 7 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Only a minority of surgeons who experienced or witnessed an adverse event reported it; reasons for failure to do so include ‘not thinking it is worth reporting’ or ‘fear of ramifications’. Other studies have reported similar findings 17 , 19 . Available data suggest that affected individuals feel either afraid of consequences or that reporting NWPEs is an unnecessarily cumbersome exercise.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

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Discrimination in the surgical discipline: an international European evaluation (DISDAIN)

et al. 2021

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Background Negative workplace experiences (NWPEs), such as gender discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment and ethnic discrimination, are concerns in today’s surgical society. These negative experiences potentially impair surgeons’ performance and might impact patient care or outcomes negatively. This study aimed to assess the experience of NWPEs across the European surgical workforce. Methods A prospective online 34-point questionnaire was designed using a combination of Likert scale, multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Invitations were distributed through surgical associations via email/social media between 1 September and 15 November 2019. Data were analysed using non-parametric methods. Results Some 840 complete responses were included in the analysis. The distribution across genders and stage of surgical training was even. Of the respondents, 20 per cent (168 respondents) considered quitting their job, 4.5 per cent (38) took time off and 0.5% (4) left surgery due to NWPEs; 12.9 per cent of females and 4.4 per cent of males experienced some form of physical harassment. Females and those in training were significantly more likely to experience or witness gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Just over half of the respondents (448) did not report negative experiences, with most of these (375 respondents) being unaware of whom to report to. Nearly a fifth of respondents felt that NWPEs influenced patient care or outcomes negatively. Conclusion NWPEs were frequent, especially among females and those in training. While a substantial proportion of respondents experienced physical harassment, many individuals were unaware of how to raise concerns. Adverse effects on patient outcomes, surgical training and workforce retention indicate a need for urgent action.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

“…All of these limitations probably contribute to the paucity of multinational literature looking at NWPEs, as opposed to national studies 8 , 14–16 , 19 , 20 . Despite this, the present study has shown that NWPEs are commonplace throughout the European surgical workforce and should not be dismissed or underestimated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discrimination in the surgical discipline: an international European evaluation (DISDAIN)

et al. 2021

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“…Overall, 55 papers37–91 focused on surgical training for women surgeons, of which 35 were surveys, 15 were retrospective observational studies, 2 were cross-sectional studies, and 3 were semi-structured interviews (Supplemental Material Table 2, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/SLA/D857). Of those, 49 were based in the United States, 1 in Australia, 1 in Canada, 1 in Ireland, 1 in Ireland-UK, 1 in Norway, and 1 in Pakistan.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early Barriers to Career Progression of Women in Surgery and Solutions to Improve Them

et al. 2022

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Objective: This study aims to summarize the evidence concerning the barriers that exist to the career progression of women in surgery and to provide potential solutions to overcome these obstacles. Background: Visible and invisible impediments can hinder female doctors’ pursuit of a surgical career, from choosing a surgical specialty to training opportunities and all the way through career progression. Methods: Database search of original studies about barriers for female surgeons during choice of surgical career, residency, and career progression. A query including possible solutions such as mentorship and network was included. Results: Of 4618 total articles; 4497 were excluded as duplicates, having incorrect study focus, or not being original studies; leaving 120 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Of the articles included, 22 (18%) focused on factors affecting the pursuit of a surgical career, such as surgical work hours and limited time for outside interests, 55 (46%) analyzed the main barriers that exist during surgical residency and fellowship training, such as discrimination and sexual harassment, 27 (23%) focused on barriers to career advancement, heavy workloads, ineffective mentorship, unclear expectations for advancement, inequality in pay or work-home conflicts. Among studies reporting on possible solutions, 8 (6.5%) articles reported on the role of effective mentorship to support career advancement and to provide moral support and 8 (6.5%) on the emerging role of social media for networking. Our analysis showed how different impediments hinder surgical career progression for women, with notable consequences on burnout and attrition. Conclusions: Identification and recognition of obstacles to career progression is the first step to addressing the gender gap in surgery. Active strategies should be improved to promote a culture of diversity and to create equal opportunity for women in surgery, while implementing structured mentoring programs and investing on an adequate communication on social media to engage the future generations.

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“…A staggering 84% of these incidents were not reported to their institutions, with “fear of negative impact on my career,” “fear of retribution,” and “fear of being dismissed and/or inaction towards perpetrator” being the top three reasons for nonreporting. 22 Female trainees were more likely to be on the receiving end of sexual harassment than female faculty, with the majority of the abuse coming from attending surgeons and administrators, comprising 34 and 28% of perpetrators, respectively. 4 23 Together, the data demonstrate that sexual harassment is pervasive within the surgery and is especially prevalent among female trainees, greatly reflecting the already apparent issues with the hierarchical leadership structure seen in surgery.…”

Section: Sexual Harassment and Implications Of The #Metoo Movementmentioning

confidence: 97%

Impact of Gender Inequity on Women Surgeons in the Professional Setting

Onyiego

Davids

2023

Clin Colon Rectal Surg

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The concept of equity ensures that each individual is given the environment, treatment, and resources needed to reach an equal outcome to those around them. Equity is central to initiatives for advancing diversity and inclusion among physicians. This article will identify key barriers to equity that women surgeons face within the professional setting. More specifically, inadequate female representation, discrimination in the form of unconscious gender bias and microaggressions, and sexual harassment will be explored regarding their continued threats to gender equity, as well as constructive ways to mitigate these effects.

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Experience of Sexual Harassment among Surgeons: A Qualitative Analysis

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Discrimination in the surgical discipline: an international European evaluation (DISDAIN)

Discrimination in the surgical discipline: an international European evaluation (DISDAIN)

Early Barriers to Career Progression of Women in Surgery and Solutions to Improve Them

Impact of Gender Inequity on Women Surgeons in the Professional Setting

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