Gender influence on work satisfaction and leadership for medical oncologists: a survey of the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM)

ESMO Open

article

E. Elez¹  F. Ayala²  E. Felip³  R. García Campelo⁴  R. García Carbonero⁵  J. García Donás⁶  A. González del Alba⁷  E. González Flores⁸  J. Hidalgo⁹  D. Isla^1,10  M. Majem^1,11  Á. Rodríguez Lescure^1,12  M.J. Safont^1,13  A. Santaballa^1,14  G. Villacampa¹  R. Vera^1,15  P. Garrido^1,16 

[1] Vall d"Hebron Institute of Oncology ,(VHIO), Medical Oncology Department;Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer;Hospital Universitario Vall D"Hebron;Complexo Hospitalario Universitario;Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre;Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal;Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda;Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves;Hospital Lluis Alcanyís de Xativa;Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa;Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau;Hospital General Universitario de Elche;Consorcio Hospital General Universitario;Hospital Universitari I Politècnic la Fe;Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra;Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal

关键词: gender;    Spain;    survey;    oncology;    women;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.esmoop.2021.100048

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: BMJ Publishing Group

【 摘 要 】

Background Women represent an increasing proportion of the oncology workforce; however, globally this does not translate into leadership roles, reflecting disparities in career opportunities between men and women. The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) undertook a survey to investigate gender disparity in the Spanish oncology context.Design An online survey was made available to SEOM medical oncologists between February and May 2019. It included demographics, professional context and achievements, parenthood and family conciliation issues, workplace gender bias, and approaches to address disparities.Results Of the 316 eligible respondents, 71.5% were women, 59.5% were aged 45 or younger, and 66.1% had children. Among women, 12.4% were division or unit heads, compared with 45.5% of men, with most women (74.3%) being attending medical oncologists, compared with 45.5% of men. More males were professors (34.4% versus 14.2% of females), had a PhD (46.7% versus 28.8%), and/or had led clinical research groups (41.1% versus 9.7%). Spending time overseas after completing a residency was also more common for men than women (34.4% versus 20.4%). Professional satisfaction was similar between genders, driven primarily by patient care and intellectual stimulation. More women (40.7%) considered parenthood to have a strong negative impact on their career, compared with men (9.0%). Main perceived barriers to gender equality included a lack of work–life balance (72.6% women, 44.4% men), bias of peers and superiors (50.0% women, 18.9% men), and different career goals (41.2% women, 24.4% men). Preferred solutions included educational programs and scholarships (52.9%), communication and leadership training (35.8%), childcare at conferences (33.2%), and postmaternity return-to-work incentives (32.0%).Conclusion There is a clear paucity of equal opportunities for female oncologists in Spain. This can be addressed by encouraging professional development and merit recognition particularly for younger female oncologists, and empowering women to be involved in management and leadership of institutions and professional societies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY|CC BY-NC-ND