Gender discrimination in surgery: A cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction Gender discrimination (GD) like in all workplaces has been a grievous part of the medical field from the beginning with the surgical side suffering the brunt of it. Objectives To determine the prevalence of gender bias and perceptions of gender disparities affecting the careers of surgeons in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan and map out both the male and female perspectives on the means for experiencing such discrimination. Materials and methods A single-centered cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from Dec 2021 to Feb 2022 using convenience sampling. Results The response rate was 32% in our survey. In our analysis, among those who responded in each specialty, 59% agreed to experiencing gender discrimination in General Surgery, 57% in Cardiothoracic Surgery, 54% in Ophthalmology, 30% in Otolaryngology, and 50% in Orthopedic surgery. A greater percentage of female surgeons ‘agreed’ to experiencing GD in comparison to male surgeons in their career (31.25% vs 27.08%). Additionally, our study also concluded that 10.42% of male and 9.38% of female doctors did not experience GD while training. Conclusion Our findings highlight the discriminatory areas for each gender in surgery and conclude that we must view gender as a primary root factor that predetermines and shapes health systems and outcomes. Most of the problems created by discrimination for different age groups were career advancement, OR opportunities, leadership roles, the difference in mentorship, and a lack of respect in the team. Highlights

Survival in general surgery: The female surgeons’ perspective

“… 24 A study by Karam A et al, reported availability of less mentorship to females (45%) as compared to male residents/surgeons (51%). 25 There is a need for formal institutional support groups and structures that can help reduce stress, ensure work-life balance and prevent burnout among female surgeons. 23 Moreover, a structured mentoring program for the female surgical residents and also training the supervisors, on how to be effective mentors, can further enhance the retention and success of females in General Surgery.…”

Does gender disparity exist in neurosurgery training? Evidence from a nationwide survey from Pakistan

“…In 2005, the number of women entering medical school was nearly equal to that of men and in 2017, the number of women surpassed the number of men entering medical school for the first time [ 1–3 ]. Despite such progress, the proportion of women in surgical training and academic leadership positions remains staggeringly low, making up 10–20% of the surgical workforce [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]. From 2000 to 2013, the male-to-female ratio in surgery decreased from 5.49 to 2.95 indicating a relative rate reduction of − 46.18% [ 5 ].…”