Women in Maxillofacial Surgery and Otolaryngology; Career Obstacles and Success Factors

Abstract

Little is known on career factors and expectations for female oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) in developing countries. The study aimed to explore career perceptions of females in 2 related surgical specialties: oral and maxillofacial surgery and otolaryngology (ENT) with a focus on career obstacles and success factors. A structured questionnaire was distributed to female surgeons working in Jordan in the 2 surgical specialties. Questions addressed socio-professional characteristics and career-promoting and hindering factors. All surgeons registered in both specialties were invited. A total of 56 surgeons participated in the survey. Age range was 29 to 55 years (mean ¼ 38.55 AE 5.799). Significantly more OMFS surgeons were single (P ¼ 0.000) younger (P ¼ 0.003), and had fewer years of experience (P ¼ 0.01) than ENT surgeons. Significantly more ENT surgeons perceived the ''hard working'' attribute and ''better communication skills'' as career-promoting factors (P ¼ 0.04, P ¼ 0.015, respectively). Further, significantly more ENT surgeons believed that females in the surgical profession help in changing the traditional surgical stereotype linked with the male gender (93.8% ENT in contrast to 75% OMFS, P ¼ 0.047), and expressed a preference for female mentors (48% ENT in contrast to 0% OMFS, P ¼ 0.000). The results of this study indicate that female OMFS surgeons have different socio-professional characteristics and perceptions to their peers in ENT surgery, and this mainly manifested in professional experience, marital status, and important career perceptions. They seem to lack confidence in female participation and promotion of the surgical career, and they show preference for having exclusively male mentors.

Gender Authorship Trends Among Craniofacial Publications: A 20-Year Analysis

“…24 Prior studies have demonstrated that women surgeons in subspecialties such as plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and maxillofacial surgery are more likely than men to prefer gender-concordant mentors and experience greater benefits of having a gender-concordant mentor. [39][40][41] Thus, it is possible that the relatively lower number of practicing female surgeons cannot meet the mentorship demands of a much larger cohort of women residents, and this lack of gender-concordant mentorship is creating an imbalance that negatively impacts the research productivity of junior surgeons and residents.…”

Career Satisfaction among Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists: A study from Jordan

“…Considering that more than 40% of the population has been born abroad, Jordan hosts one of the largest percentages of immigrants in the world compared to its total population [5]. Such demographics present a burden on the country's healthcare system that is concerned with providing services to refugees [6], as well as regional patients who seek healthcare in Jordan as a medically advanced country, and is a favorable destination for medical tourism [7]. Furthermore, the important role of Jordan as a reliable regional healthcare provider is highly acknowledged internationally by large aid donors such as the European Union due to its provision of sustainable healthcare services to less privileged populations of the Middle East under the umbrella of the World Health Organization (WHO) [8].…”