Proportion of female recipients of resident-selected awards across Canada from 2000 to 2018: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND

Female physicians have been shown to receive fewer awards from medical societies than their male colleagues. We examined the sex distribution of recipients of Canadian residency association awards.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational study of the sex of staff and resident physician recipients of resident-selected awards from provincial and national residency associations using data from 2000-2018. We classified awards into professionalism, advocacy and wellness awards, and education and teaching awards based on award names and descriptions, and compared the proportion of male and female recipients in these categories.

RESULTS

We identified 314 recipients of staff physician awards and 129 recipients of resident physician awards. Male staff and resident physicians had higher odds of receiving awards than their female counterparts (odds ratio [OR] 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.89 and OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.18-2.46, respectively). There was a reduction in the odds of male residents' receiving an award over the study period (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.98). Male physicians had higher odds of receiving education and teaching awards than female physicians as staff but not as residents (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.72-5.95 and OR 1.96, 95% CI 0.84-4.60, respectively).

INTERPRETATION

Male staff and resident physicians in Canada had higher odds of receiving awards from provincial and national residency associations between 2000 and 2018 than their female counterparts. Given this disparity, it would be prudent for organizations that distribute awards to physicians, residents and medical students to examine their nomination criteria and processes for potential bias.