Gynecologic Oncology and Inclusion of Women Into the Surgical Workforce: The Canary in This Coal Mine

Frontiers in Oncology

Uma Chandavarkar¹  Amy Brockmeyer²  Linda J. Hong³  Yevgeniya Ioffe³  Michelle F. Benoit⁴  Erin Stevens⁵  Deanna Teoh⁶  Lisa Rubinsak⁷  Sarah M. Temkin⁸ 

[1] Department of Oncology, Sutter Medical Group, Sacramento, CA, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology, Department of Surgery, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaiser Permanente Washington, Seattle, WA, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Prevea Health, Green Bay, WI, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States;Independent Researcher, Washington, DC, United States;

关键词: gender discrimination;    women in medicine (WIM);    women in surgery;    gynecologic oncologists;    inclusion;    microaggressions;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fonc.2022.789910

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveWomen make up a majority of the gynecologic oncology workforce. Increasing the numbers of women in leadership has been proposed as a path towards professional gender equity. This study examined whether leadership gender and departmental infrastructure impact the work environment for women gynecologic oncologists.MethodsMembers of a 472-member private Facebook group “Women of Gynecologic Oncology” (WGO) who self-identified as women gynecologic oncologists provided demographics, practice infrastructure, personal experience with workplace bullying, gender discrimination, microaggressions using a REDcap survey platform.ResultsOf 250 (53%) respondents to this survey, most were younger than age 50 years (93.6%); White (82.2%) and non-Hispanic (94.3%); married (84.7%); and parenting (75.2%). Practice environments included academic (n=152, 61.0%), hospital employed (n=57, 22.9%), and private practice (n=31, 12.4%), and 89.9% supervised trainees. A significant percent of respondents had experienced bullying (52.8%), gender discrimination (57%) and microaggressions (83%). Age, race, ethnicity, practice setting, or mentorship were not statistically significantly associated with these experiences. Reported perpetrators were varied and included colleagues (84%), patients (44%), staff (41%), administrators (18%), and trainees (16%). Prevalence of bullying (55.0 vs 47.7%, p=0.33), gender discrimination (59.1 vs 52.3%, p=0.33) and microaggressions (83.3 vs 83.0%, p=1.00) were similar irrespective of departmental leadership gender.ConclusionsWomen gynecologic oncologists report a high prevalence of workplace bullying, gender discrimination and microaggressions regardless of the gender of their immediate leadership. Proactive and deliberate structural interventions to improve the work environment for surgeons who are women are urgently needed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown