Participation of women in general surgery in Colombia: an x-ray of the latin American reality

Abstract

Background: Women choose surgery because academic challenges and technical components. With this work we want to establish the real participation of women in the general surgery residency and the professional level in Colombia. Methods: We conducted a survey in academic and surgical training centers, surgical centers in capital cities and in university teaching centers 2020 to establish the percentage of participation of women in residency and employment in general surgery. Results: Women represent 39% of residents in training in general surgery. In the main hospitals, women represent only 9% of work positions. Only 21% of university surgical teaching positions are held by women. Conclusions: Although in our environment the possibility of admission to residency and surgical work has increased for women, based on our results there is still a large participation gap in our country. Mentoring and diversity must continue to end the gender bias in the surgical field.