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  • Item type:Publication,
    Advancing gender equity in gynecology and obstetrics: perspectives from the German workforce Open PDF 
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025-08-27)
    Neuhold, Jasmin
    ;
    von Versen-Höynck, Frauke
    PURPOSE: Despite the high proportion of women in medical education and clinical training, female physicians remain underrepresented in leadership and academic positions in Gynecology and Obstetrics in Germany. This study investigates structural and cultural factors contributing to this disparity and highlights trends in workforce composition and recognition in the field. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis using publicly available data from the German Federal Statistical Office and the German Medical Association (2004-2024), as well as database from the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG). RESULTS: In 2023, women comprised 73% of gynecologists in Germany. Female representation declined with advancing career stage. In 2024, 82% of resident physicians at German university hospitals were women, while they held 26% of department head positions in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Female membership in the DGGG reached 75%, with 40% on the executive board. In 2022, 65% of major awards went to men, while women received most poster and lecture prizes (61%) at the biannual conference. CONCLUSIONS: While gender diversity in the clinical workforce has improved, systemic inequities persist in academic and leadership domains. Addressing these requires structural reforms, increased transparency in recruitment and promotion processes, and targeted programs supporting women's professional advancement. Enhanced visibility, mentorship, and inclusive institutional policies are essential to ensure gender-equitable development in the specialty.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Gender-specific career pathways after postdoctoral qualification in ophthalmology: status quo and influencing factors—A questionnaire survey Open PDF 
    (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025-09-12)
    Maier, Anna-Karina B.
    ;
    Liekfeld, Anja
    ;
    Messmer, Elisabeth M.
    ;
    Brücher, Viktoria C.
    ;
    Vandemeulebroecke, Nicola
    Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Trotz einer steigenden Zahl an Habilitationen in der Ophthalmologie von Frauen, sind Frauen in akademischen Leitungspositionen und bei Professuren weiterhin deutlich unterrepräsentiert. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den aktuellen geschlechterspezifischen Stand der Karrierewege nach der Habilitation in der Augenheilkunde sowie mögliche Einflussfaktoren zu analysieren. Methodik Eine offizielle Umfrage der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft (DOG), die an habilitierte Ophthalmolog*innen versendet wurde, erfolgte von August bis September 2024 auf Initiative des DOG-Arbeitskreises Frauen in der Ophthalmologie. Erhoben wurden Daten zu Alter, Geschlecht, Informationen zu Kindern, Kinderbetreuung, derzeitigem Arbeitsplatz und Gründen für den Verbleib und das Verlassen einer Universitätsklinik oder Forschungseinrichtung als Arbeitgeber. Ergebnisse Insgesamt beteiligten sich 168 von 458 habilitierten Kolleg*innen an der Umfrage (♀: 40 %, ♂: 59 %, keine Angabe: 1 %). Bei 79,8 % der habilitierten männlichen Kollegen lebten Kinder im selben Haushalt, bei Frauen nur in 64,7 % (p = 0,030); 81,8 % der Frauen und 32,9 % der Männer nahmen Elternzeit (p < 0,001); 72,3 % der Frauen und 6,3 % der Männer mit Kindern arbeiteten in Teilzeit (p < 0,001). Bei Vorhandensein einer zweiten Betreuungsperson arbeitet/arbeitete diese bei den männlichen Kollegen zu 58 % in Teilzeit und in 15 % gar nicht, während dies bei den weiblichen Kollegen nur zu 16 % in Teilzeit und zu 2 % gar nicht der Fall war (p < 0,001). Für den Verbleib in der akademischen Laufbahn wurden am häufigsten das Gesamtpaket der Vorteile einer akademischen Laufbahn (♂: 57,4 %, ♀: 64,4 %) und am seltensten finanzielle Anreize (♂: 2,9 %, ♀: 2,2 %) als Gründe angegeben. Diskussion Es besteht bei Habilitierten der Augenheilkunde eine erhebliche Diskrepanz zwischen gleich qualifizierten Männern und Frauen in Bezug auf die Übernahme der Kinderbetreuung. Frauen übernehmen offenbar den Großteil der Kinderbetreuung, was ein Grund dafür sein könnte, dass Habilitandinnen seltener akademische Leitungspositionen einnehmen. Abstract Background Despite an increasing number of women completing postdoctoral qualifications in ophthalmology, women remain significantly underrepresented in academic leadership positions and professorships. The aim of this study was to analyze the current gender-specific status of postdoctoral career paths in ophthalmology and potential influencing factors. Methods An official survey of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) was conducted from August to September 2024 at the initiative of the DOG working group on women in ophthalmology. Data were collected on age, gender, information about children, childcare, current employment and reasons for remaining or leaving a university hospital or research institution as an employer. Results A total of 168 of 458 colleagues participated in the survey (♀: 40%, ♂: 59%, no information: 1%). Of the male colleagues 79.8% had children living in the same household, compared to only 64.7% of women (p = 0.030), 81.8% of women and 32.9% of men took parental leave (p < 0.001) and 72.3% of women and 6.3% of men with children worked part-time (p < 0.001). If a second caregiver was present, this caregiver worked part-time in 58% of male colleagues and 15% did not work at all. In female colleagues the second caregiver worked part-time in 16% and 2% did not work at all. The overall package of benefits (♂: 57.4%, ♀: 64.4%) was cited most frequently as a reason for remaining in an academic career, while financial incentives (♂: 2.9%, ♀: 2.2%) were cited least frequently as reasons. Discussion There is a significant discrepancy between equally qualified men and women in ophthalmology regarding childcare responsibilities. Women appear to take on the majority of childcare responsibilities, which could be one reason why females are less likely to achieve academic leadership positions.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Investigating Career Advancement in Academic Cytopathology Workforce: A Gender and Regional Comparison Open PDF 
    (Wiley, 2025-04-10)
    Chiou, Paul Z.
    ;
    Jia, Yuane
    ;
    Vinod, Rema
    ABSTRACT Objective Using bibliometric analysis to inform factors impacting career mobility, focusing on gender and regional variations in academic cytopathology. Methods The Scopus database was used to determine the productivity and experience of cytopathologists who are faculty from the 92 fellowship programs. The dependent variable was promotion to the rank of Professor. A regression analysis was conducted with productivity (h‐index), experience (years in publication) and one's geographic work location as covariates to investigate the role of gender in promotion. Results The gender distribution is skewed towards females at the Assistant (62.4% vs. 37.58%) and Associate Professors (70.51% vs. 29.49%) levels, but the gap narrows at the full‐professor rank (52.98% vs. 47.02%). The regression model showed significant regional variation in promotion for the Southern (0.35; 95% CI, 0.16–0.79; p  = 0.012) and Northeastern (0.24; 95% CI, 0.10–0.57; p  = 0.001) regions compared to the West. Active years of publishing (1.18; 95% CI, 1.11–1.27; p  < 0.001) and productivity (1.09; 95% CI, 1.06–1.12; p  < 0.001) were factors in promotion. The mean HI productivity was comparable between the males and females in the first (4.41 for males and 4.40 for females) and the second decade (13.81 for males and 12.84 for females). However, the gap widened into the third decade (30.27 for males and 26.40 for females), suggesting potential areas for improvement. Conclusion While the academic cytopathology workforce is progressing towards gender equity, there is still room for improvement. Our findings suggest that focusing on mid‐career professionals(between the second to third decades) by providing additional resources for research and facilitating work–life flexibility can help close the gender gap at the highest level.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Advancing Women Physicians in Academic Medicine: A Scoping Review Open PDF 
    (2025)
    Purpose: Multiple studies have described higher rates of attrition for women in academic medicine, but actionable strategies to retain women in the field have not been well studied in the current era. This study reviewed the existing literature for studied interventions to support the advancement of women physicians in academic medicine. Method: A scoping review was conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for articles describing interventions intended to support women physicians on September 12, 2022, and updated on August 23, 2024. All articles from inception of the databases through the search dates were included. Search terms included female physician , mentoring , leadership , career development , job satisfaction , advancement , and synonyms. Articles related to inequities in patient care, interventions related to nonphysician health care workers, and studies describing sexism without measured solutions were excluded from the analysis. Kirkpatrick's framework for the evaluation of educational programs was used to further classify results by 4 levels of evaluation for an educational or training program: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Results: A total of 2,813 articles underwent abstract screening and full-text review, with 64 articles included in the final analysis. Seven studies (10.9%) were randomized controlled trials. Only 2 studies (3.1%) specifically examined mid- or late-career women. Career development programs (15 [23.4%]), mentorship programs (10 [15.6%]), and women's interest groups (7 [10.9%]) were the most described interventions. Outcome measures were most commonly satisfaction with the intervention (22 [34.4%]), self-perceived improvement in skills (17 [26.6%]), and representation or recruitment of women into a field (12 [18.8%]). Conclusions: This study describes 64 articles of studied interventions to support the advancement of women in medicine. Additional studies are needed and should emphasize rigorous study methods, a focus on institutional solutions, and identifying and targeting the needs of women physicians beyond their early career.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Advancing gender equality through the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science: An exploratory study of women's and men's perceptions Open PDF 
    (BioMed Central Ltd., 2017)
    Ovseiko, P.V.
    ;
    Chapple, A.
    ;
    Edmunds, L.D.
    ;
    Ziebland, S.
    Background: While in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, higher education and research institutions are widely engaged with the Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science to advance gender equality, empirical research on this process and its impact is rare. This study combined two data sets (free- text comments from a survey and qualitative interviews) to explore the range of experiences and perceptions of participation in Athena SWAN in medical science departments of a research-intensive university in Oxford, United Kingdom. Methods: The study is based on the secondary analysis of data from two projects: 59 respondents to an anonymous online survey (42 women, 17 men) provided relevant free-text comments and, separately, 37 women participated in face-to-face narrative interviews. Free-text survey comments and narrative interviews were analysed thematically using constant comparison. Results: Both women and men said that participation in Athena SWAN had brought about important structural and cultural changes, including increased support for women's careers, greater appreciation of caring responsibilities, and efforts to challenge discrimination and bias. Many said that these positive changes would not have happened without linkage of Athena SWAN to government research funding, while others thought there were unintended consequences. Concerns about the programme design and implementation included a perception that Athena SWAN has limited ability to address longstanding and entrenched power and pay imbalances, persisting lack of work-life balance in academic medicine, questions about the sustainability of positive changes, belief that achieving the award could become an end in itself, resentment about perceived positive discrimination, and perceptions that further structural and cultural changes were needed in the university and wider society. Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest that Athena SWAN has a positive impact in advancing gender equality, but there may be limits to how much it can improve gender equality without wider institutional and societal changes. To address the fundamental causes of gender inequality would require cultural change and welfare state policies incentivising men to increase their participation in unpaid work in the family, which is beyond the scope of higher education and research policy. © 2017 The Author(s).
  • Item type:Publication,
    Gender disparities in scholarly productivity of US academic surgeons Open PDF 
    (Academic Press Inc., 2016)
    Mueller, C.M.
    ;
    Gaudilliere, D.K.
    ;
    Kin, C.
    ;
    Menorca, R.
    ;
    Girod, S.
    Background Female surgeons have faced significant challenges to promotion over the past decades, with attrition rates supporting a lack of improvement in women's position in academia. We examine gender disparities in research productivity, as measured by the number of citations, publications, and h-indices, across six decades. Materials and methods The online profiles of full-time faculty members of surgery departments of three academic centers were reviewed. Faculty members were grouped into six cohorts by decade, based on year of graduation from medical school. Differences between men and women across cohorts as well as by academic rank were examined. Results The profiles of 978 surgeons (234 women and 744 men) were reviewed. The number of female faculty members in the institutions increased significantly over time, reaching the current percentage of 35.3%. Significant differences in number of articles published were noted at the assistant and full but not at the associate, professor level. Women at these ranks had fewer publications than men. Gender differences were also found in all age cohorts except among the most recent who graduated in the 2000s. The impact of publications, as measured by h-index and number of citations, was not consistently significantly different between the genders at any age or rank. Conclusions We identified a consistent gender disparity in the number of publications for female faculty members across a 60-year span. Although the youngest cohort, those who graduated in the 2000s, appeared to avoid the gender divide, our data indicate that overall women still struggle with productivity in the academic arena. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Gender Disparity in Full Professor Rank Among Academic Physicians: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Open PDF 
    (2024)
    Marhoffer, Elizabeth A.
    ;
    Ein-Alshaeba, Samer
    ;
    Grimshaw, Alyssa A.
    ;
    Holleck, Jürgen L.
    ;
    Rudikoff, Benjamin
    PURPOSE: The gender gap in promotion in academic medicine is well established. However, few studies have reported gender differences in promotion adjusted for scholarly production and national or international reputation, namely, career duration, publications, grant funding, and leadership positions. The authors performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the differences between men and women in achieving benchmarks for promotion and analyze where such differences lie geographically and within specialties. METHOD: A systematic search of Academic Search Premier, Business Source Complete, Cochrane Library, ERIC, GenderWatch, Google Scholar, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted from inception to August 17, 2022. All studies that reported the number of male and female full professors on medical school faculty were included. The primary outcome was the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for promotion to full professor for women compared with men. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. The unadjusted OR for promotion to full professor for women was 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.41). Sixteen studies reported an AOR. The pooled AOR of promotion for women to full professor was 0.60 (95% CI, 0.46-0.77). The AOR for promotion to full professor was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.34-0.88) in surgery and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.57-1.11) in internal medicine. Statistical heterogeneity was high ( Q = 66.6, I2 = 79.4%, P < .001). On meta-regression, 77% of the heterogeneity was from studies outside the United States, where more disparity was reported (AOR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.22-0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Most studies continued to find decreased promotion of women. Gender disparity was particularly notable in surgery and in studies from outside the United States. The results suggest that differences in promotion were due to differences in productivity and leadership and to gender bias.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Quantifying gender disparity in physician authorship among commentary articles in three high-impact medical journals: an observational study Open PDF 
    (2020)
    Mamtani, Mira
    ;
    Shofer, Frances
    ;
    Mudan, Anita
    ;
    Khatri, Utsha
    ;
    Walker, Rachael
    BACKGROUND: Scholarship plays a direct role in career advancement, promotion and authoritative recognition, and women physicians remain under-represented as authors of original research articles. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine if women physician authors are similarly under-represented in commentary articles within high-impact journals. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: In this observational study, we abstracted and analysed author information (gender and degree) and authorship position from commentary articles published in three high-impact journals between 1 January 2014 and 16 October 2018. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Authorship rate of commentary articles over a 5-year period by gender, degree, authorship position and journal. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: To compare the proportion of men and women physician authorship of commentaries relative to the proportion of men and women physician faculty within academic medicine; and to examine the gender concordance among the last and first authors in articles with more than one author. RESULTS: Of the 2087 articles during the study period, 48% were men physician first authors compared with 17% women physician first authors (p<0.0001). Of the 1477 articles with more than one author, similar distributions were found with regard to last authors: 55% were men physicians compared with only 12% women physicians (p<0.0001). The proportion of women physician first authors increased over time; however, the proportion of women physician last authors remained stagnant. Women coauthored with women in the first and last authorship positions in 9% of articles. In contrast, women coauthored with men in the first and last author positions, respectively, in 55% of articles. CONCLUSIONS: Women physician authors remain under-represented in commentary articles compared with men physician authors in the first and last author positions. Women also coauthored commentaries with other women in far fewer numbers.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Impact of a Women-focused Professional Organization on Academic Retention and Advancement: Perceptions From a Qualitative Study Open PDF 
    (2019)
    Lin, Michelle P.
    ;
    Lall, Michelle D.
    ;
    Samuels-Kalow, Margaret
    ;
    Das, Devjani
    ;
    Linden, Judith A.
    OBJECTIVES: Organizations to promote career networking and mentorship among women are recommended as a best practice to support the recruitment and retention of women physicians; however, the impact of such organizations is unknown. Our primary objective is to describe the impact of a national woman-focused organization for academic emergency physicians on retention and advancement. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews of past and present organization leaders, as well as members at varying stages in their careers. Physicians with experience in qualitative methods conducted interviews and coded all transcripts using inductive content analysis techniques. Themes were reviewed and discussed to ensure consensus. RESULTS: We performed 17 interviews lasting 20 to 30 minutes each, resulting in 476 total minutes of transcript. Participants represented varying stages of career experience, ranging from 2 to 35 years since residency completion (median = 9.5 years). Median years of participation in the woman-focused organization was 10 years. Over half (53%) of participants were past presidents of the organization. The dominant themes encompassed facilitating academic advancement through scholarly productivity, leadership experiences, awards, and promotions; mentorship and sponsorship; peer support and collaborations; reduced professional isolation; and initiatives to address systemic gender inequities and challenges, including strategies to navigate bias, promote pay equity, and advocate for family-friendly workplace policies. DISCUSSION: Active participation in a woman-focused professional organization enhances members' career retention and advancement by creating opportunities and relationships that facilitate leadership, enabling scholarly work to advance equity and inclusion, and cultivating a sense of belonging. While challenges and barriers persist, the myriad benefits of a women-focused professional organization reported by members and leaders represent important steps toward greater equity for women and other underrepresented groups in academic medicine.
  • Item type:Publication,
    Ivory tower in MD/PhD programmes: sticky floor, broken ladder and glass ceiling Open PDF 
    (2024)
    Lail, Achint
    ;
    Ding, Jeffrey
    ;
    Leyva, Brayden K.
    ;
    Jalal, Sabeena
    ;
    Nakae, Sunny
    OBJECTIVE: Achieving gender equity in academic medicine is not only a matter of social justice but also necessary in promoting an innovative and productive academic community. The purpose of this study was to assess gender distribution in dual MD/PhD academic programme faculty members across North America. METHODS: Academic metrics were analysed to quantify the relative career success of academic faculty members in MD/PhD programmes. Measured parameters included academic and leadership ranks along with nominal research factors such as peer-reviewed research publications, H-index, citation number and years of active research. RESULTS: Χ² analysis revealed a statistically significant (p<0.0001, χ²=114.5) difference in the gender distribution of faculty and leadership across North American MD/PhD programmes. Men held 74.2% of full professor positions, 64% of associate professor positions, 59.4% of assistant professor positions and 62.8% of lecturer positions. Moreover, men occupied a larger share of faculty leadership roles with a statistically significant disparity across all ranks (p<0.001, χ²=20.4). A higher proportion of men held positions as department chairs (79.6%), vice chairs (69.1%) and programme leads (69.4%). CONCLUSION: Gender disparity was prevalent in the MD/PhD programmes throughout North America with women achieving a lower degree of professional stature than men. Ultimately, steps must be taken to support women faculty to afford them better opportunities for academic and professional advancement.