The Glaring Gender Bias in the Operating Room: A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Career Selection for First-Year Medical Students

Sorouri, Kimia; Khan, Shawn; Bowden, Sylvie; Searle, Stephanie; Carr, Lauren; Simpson, Jory S.

doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2021.01.014

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…31 Previous studies have shown that increased exposure positively influences medical students to choose a career in surgery. 32,33 Especially for female medical students, exposure is an important consideration in fields like cardiothoracic surgery or orthopedic surgery, where baseline interest is already low and there is limited exposure in the preclinical years. 18,20 Without adequate exposure, female medical students are unable to confront preconceived notions about femininity in surgical spaces, see examples of female surgeons successfully navigating the demanding surgical lifestyle, and see gender biases being dismantled in a predominately male space.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most medical schools do not have surgical exposure as part of their preclinical curriculum, and the abrupt cessation of in‐person classes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic has made it even more difficult for students to explore a career in surgery 31 . Previous studies have shown that increased exposure positively influences medical students to choose a career in surgery 32,33 . Especially for female medical students, exposure is an important consideration in fields like cardiothoracic surgery or orthopedic surgery, where baseline interest is already low and there is limited exposure in the preclinical years 18,20 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sorouri et al . surveyed medical students in Canada and found that exposure and gender‐concordant mentors positively influenced female medical students' perception of surgery 32 . Schroeder et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Influencing Underrepresented Medical Students' Career Choice in Surgical Subspecialties

Pershad,

Kidwai,

Lugo

et al. 2023

The Laryngoscope

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ObjectivesSurgical subspecialties rank among the least racially and gender diverse of the medical specialties. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the current factors that influence female, gender and sexual minority (GSM), and underrepresented in medicine (URiM)‐identifying medical students' decision to pursue a career in a surgical subspecialty.Data sourcesA structured literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Criteria for eligibility included surveys and interviews assessing factors and barriers influencing underrepresented medical students' career choices.Review methodsTwo independent researchers screened the articles' titles and abstracts for relevance; three performed full‐text reviews.ResultsOf 343 studies identified, 17 met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen (82%) were survey‐based studies; three (18%) were qualitative interviews. Represented minorities included females (14), URiM (13), and GSM (4). Female medical students were most influenced by (1) exposure to surgery, (2) mentorship, and (3) surgical lifestyle. URiM medical students were most influenced by (1) mentorship, (2) culture and diversity, (3) research opportunities, and (4) personality fit. GSM medical students were most influenced by identity acceptance and instances of discrimination and bias.ConclusionsOur review provides granular data on positive and negative factors influencing career choice among underrepresented medical students to facilitate the development of a more diverse surgical workforce. Female medical students were more positively influenced by increased exposure to surgical subspecialties, whereas URiM medical students were more positively influenced by race‐concordant mentorship. Laryngoscope, 2023

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Factors Influencing Underrepresented Medical Students' Career Choice in Surgical Subspecialties

Pershad,

Kidwai,

Lugo

et al. 2023

The Laryngoscope

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Nonetheless, 15% of the women said their department head expected them to continue working. Indeed, discrimination against women in surgery is still prevalent, in particular concerning their becoming pregnant, which can limit the implementation of preventive measures [33].…”

Section: Implications For Healthcare Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Greater Risk of Pregnancy Complications for Female Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Electronic Survey

Delva

Carcasset²,

Mouton

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Background: Female surgeons are exposed to physical and mental stressors that differ from those of other specialties. We aimed to assess whether female surgeons are more at risk of pregnancy complications than women in other medical specialties. Methods: We used a cross-sectional electronic survey of female physicians working in the French Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine who were pregnant between 2013 and 2018. A pregnancy complication was defined as the occurrence of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, prematurity, fetal congenital malformation, stillbirth, or medical termination of the pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the risk of pregnancy complications for female surgeons relative to women practicing in other medical specialties. Results: Among the 270 women included, 52 (19.3%) experienced pregnancy complications and 28 (10.4%) were surgeons. In the multivariate analysis, female surgeons had a higher risk of pregnancy complications: adjusted odds ratio = 3.53, 95% confidence interval [1.27–9.84]. Conclusion: Further research is necessary to identify the hazards specifically involved in the practice of surgery to be able to propose preventive actions targeted to female surgeons during their pregnancy.

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“…What is perhaps even more striking is the need for mentorship for females seeking to enter a traditionally male-dominated specialties such as surgical elds. (17)(18)(19) Evidence suggests that female students, especially early in their training, need to have positive role models to emulate and prove that a surgical career is possible. (20,21) For example, in a study conducted in the United Kingdom exploring female views of a surgical career, women who had decided on pursuing surgery had positive experiences as students and noted the importance of having a female role model.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ophthalmology Education Leadership Attitudes Towards Gender-specific Mentorship

Paul

Dweck

Chadha

2021

Preprint

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Background:Despite relatively equal gender representation among US medical students, a gender gap exists in female representation within academic medicine. Numerous studies have emphasized the influence of gender-specific mentors in medical students' career decisions, but this has not been explored fully in ophthalmology. Therefore, this study evaluated ophthalmology educators’ attitudes towards gender-specific mentorship, to better understand how this relates to medical students’ decision to enter the field and their career development.Methods:A 22-question survey was sent to AUPO Department Chairs, Residency Program Directors, and Medical Student Educators. Additionally, the gender breakdown of current AUPO members was determined through a review of the AUPO membership directory. The authors also compared the number of female students applying to ophthalmology residency with the number of female ophthalmology faculty using AUPO and AAMC workforce data. Student’s t-tests and chi square were used for analysis.Results:75 members responded (23.7%), including 17 of 135 Chairs (12.6%), 34 of 114 PDs (29.8%), and 30 of 72 MSEs (41.7%). Of AUPO members, 85.2% of Chairs, 67.5% of Program Directors, and 43% of MSEs are male. Of respondents, 55.4% identified as female and 44.6% as male.Male and female members had 47.9% and 47.6% female mentees, respectively, (p=0.451). However, 21.2% of male and 56.1% of female members agreed that a mentee of the same gender was important, (p<0.01). Furthermore, 13 of 40 female members (32.5%) reported having a significant female mentor themselves vs. 1 of 29 male members (3%), (p<0.05).Conclusions:Male and female AUPO members reported no difference in the ratio of female mentees. However, female members were more likely to feel gender-specific mentorship was important, suggesting room for further development of this resource. Expansion of gender-specific mentorship in ophthalmology can promote equity in training and help address the lack of female representation in academic leadership.

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The Glaring Gender Bias in the Operating Room: A Qualitative Study of Factors Influencing Career Selection for First-Year Medical Students

Cited by 12 publications

References 33 publications

Factors Influencing Underrepresented Medical Students' Career Choice in Surgical Subspecialties

Factors Influencing Underrepresented Medical Students' Career Choice in Surgical Subspecialties

Greater Risk of Pregnancy Complications for Female Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Electronic Survey

Ophthalmology Education Leadership Attitudes Towards Gender-specific Mentorship

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