Representation of female neurosurgeons as abstract authors at neurological surgery conferences

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Female neurosurgeon representation has increased, but women still represent only 8.4% of neurosurgeons in the US. Women are significantly underrepresented as authors in neurosurgical and spine journals, a key indicator of professional success in academic medicine. In this study, the authors aimed to assess the gender diversity of first and last authors of accepted abstracts at neurosurgical conferences in 2015 and 2019. METHODS Annual meeting abstracts for 2015 and 2019 of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), and pediatrics, spine, stereotactic and functional surgery, and cerebrovascular AANS/CNS subspecialty sections were obtained and analyzed for gender. Partial data were obtained for tumor and pain sections. Composite gender data were obtained from the societies. Percentage differences were calculated using comparison of proportions testing. RESULTS Overall, female neurosurgeons accounted for only 8.3% of first and 5.8% of last authors, and 7.2% of authors overall. The pediatrics section had the highest proportion of female neurosurgeons as first (13.7%) and last (12.4%) abstract authors, while the spine section had the lowest proportions of female neurosurgeon first (4.6%) and last (2.0%) authors. Qualitatively, a higher proportion of women were first authors, while a higher proportion of men were last authors. Overall, there was no significant change in female neurosurgeon authorship between 2015 and 2019. With regard to society demographics, female neurosurgeons accounted for only 6.3% of AANS membership. The pediatrics section had the highest proportion of female neurosurgeons at 18.1% and the stereotactic and functional surgery section had the lowest of the subspecialty sections (7.6%). While female neurosurgeons represented 12.6% of spine section membership, they represented only 4.7% of first authors (−7.9% difference; p < 0.0001) and 2.4% of last authors (−10.2% difference; p < 0.0001). For the 2019 cerebrovascular section, female neurosurgeons were underrepresented as presenting authors (5.8%) compared with their membership representation (14.8%, −9.0% difference; p = 0.0018). CONCLUSIONS Despite an increase in the number of female neurosurgeons, there has not been a corresponding increase in the proportion of female neurosurgeons as abstract authors at annual neurosurgery conferences, and female neurosurgeons remain underrepresented as authors compared with their male colleagues.

A Decade of Global Skull Base Researchers: Gender Data from over 2,700 Abstract Authors in the Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B: Skull Base

“…all medical fields, 11,19 our findings do echo those noted in plastic surgery and dermatologic surgery. 20,21 Our hypothesis that larger gender disparities would be present between the neurosurgical authors than the otolaryngology authors was correct.…”

“…This is noteworthy, given a recent study of first and last authors presenting at two major neurosurgery conferences found no significant change in female authorship rates from 2015 to 2019. 11 That study, unlike ours, used presenting author as a surrogate to determine first author. It also coded gender via "traditional naming conventions" and, if names appeared ambiguous to the researchers, internet search.…”

“…In fact, there is substantial evidence to the contrary: gender differences in conferences have been noted to occur in the following fields: interventional radiology, 29 microbiology, 31 dermatology, 20 orthopaedic surgery, 32 physiatry, 33 surgery, 22,34,35 urology, 23,36 evolutionary biology, 37 plastic surgery, 21 emergency medicine, 38 otolaryngology, 9 medicine, 35 radiation oncology, 19 and neurosurgery. 11,39 Thus, our sample of skull base researchers is likely representative of gender dynamics seen in all aspects of medicine and in other scientific fields. 32,35 To sum up the significance of these findings, we would like to echo the sentiment made by Ronne-Engström in their 2020 article on neurosurgery in Germany: "...when the effects for women are lower salary, less prestige and influence, fewer research opportunities, and a need to work part time due to failing social structures, then the uneven gender distribution have a discriminatory effect" 39 Overall, our data demonstrate that although female researchers remain in the minority of skull base researchers presenting at the NASBS annual conference, rates of female first and last authorship have increased over the decade assessed.…”

“…Recent data suggests this may be true in the field of neurosurgery in general. 11 Is there any geographic association? This work is part of a larger project in which our team studied the NASBS annual conference.…”

“…Recent data suggests this may be true in the field of neurosurgery in general. 11 Is there any geographic association?…”