Seeing Gender Bias Through a Corrected Lens

Abstract

The excellent survey by Zogg and colleagues 1 addresses the experiences of gender bias among Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons. Before starting my commentary, I must define my pertinent disclosures. First, I am an older White male surgeon, an outlier from most responding to the survey. I grew up in surgery in a traditional maledominated program that was late to adapt to the changing culture of gender inclusiveness. I have been a leader in academic surgery as a chair, program director, or a society leader for almost 30 years and thus have gone from being part of the problem to having the opportunity to be part of the solution to these important issues. I showed my personal bias on the topic in my American Surgical Association presidential address in 2017. 2 Finally, most importantly, I am the father of a young female surgeon soon to take her first faculty position in academic surgery.The results of this survey 1 related to experiences of female surgeons are not surprising, as most have been reported previously. Thus, the most important contribution of the article is the sampling of male surgeons to define the feelings on the other side of this swinging pendulum. It is not a surprise to see that male surgeons also perceive themselves as affected by gender-biased discrimination and that their hesitancy or even fear to take on these issues may lead to a worsening disengagement or a "culture of fear," as referred to by the authors. 1 The most important points of this article can be drawn from the recommendations for change. Female surgeons' suggestions provide an important message of male allyship. As bystanders who are not recipients of microaggressions, male surgeons are in a powerful position to amplify the voices of their