Division of Cardiac Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Ann Thorac Surg. 2022 Nov;114(5):1933-1942. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.02.076. Epub 2022 Mar 23.
While women comprise nearly half of medical school graduates, they remain underrepresented in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. To better understand ongoing barriers, we aimed to delineate issues relevant to the CT subspecialities, emphasizing personal life.
An anonymous Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap; hosted at Indiana University School of Medicine) survey link was emailed to female diplomats of the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons (ABTS). The survey included questions on demographics, professional accolades, practice details, and personal life. Survey responses were compared across subspecialities using χ testing.
Of 354 female ABTS diplomats, we contacted 309, and 176 (57%) completed the survey. By subspecialty, 42% practice thoracic, 26% adult cardiac, and 10% congenital cardiac; 19% report a mixed practice. The subspecialties differed in length of training (congenital-the longest), practice location (mixed practice-less urban), and academic rank (thoracic-most full professors at 17%), but were largely similar in their personal lives. Among all respondents, 65% are in a committed relationship, but 40% felt that being a CT surgeon negatively impacted their ability to find a partner. Sixty percent have children, but 31% of those with children reported using assisted reproductive technology, surrogacy, or adoption. The number with leadership roles (eg, division chief, committee chair of national organization) did not differ among subspecialities, but was low, ranging from 0 to <30%.
Women remain underrepresented in CT surgery, particularly in the academic rank of full professor and in leadership positions. We advocate for scholarship and mentorship opportunities to encourage women to enter the field, increased female leadership, and policies to enable families.
尽管女性在医学院毕业生中约占近一半，但她们在心胸外科（CT）手术领域的代表性仍然不足。为了更好地了解持续存在的障碍，我们旨在阐明与 CT 亚专业相关的问题，重点关注个人生活。
我们向美国胸外科医师学会（ABTS）的女性女外交官发送了一封匿名的 Research Electronic Data Capture（REDCap；由印第安纳大学医学院托管）调查链接。该调查包括人口统计学、专业荣誉、实践细节和个人生活方面的问题。使用 χ 检验比较各亚专业之间的调查结果。
在 354 名 ABTS 女性外交官中，我们联系了 309 名，其中 176 名（57%）完成了调查。按亚专业划分，42%的人从事胸外科工作，26%的人从事成人心脏科工作，10%的人从事先天性心脏科工作；19%的人报告混合实践。亚专业在培训时间（先天性最长）、实践地点（混合实践较少城市）和学术职称（胸外科最多有 17%的正教授）上存在差异，但在个人生活方面基本相似。在所有受访者中，65%的人处于恋爱关系中，但 40%的人认为作为 CT 外科医生会对他们找到伴侣的能力产生负面影响。60%的人有孩子，但其中 31%的人报告使用了辅助生殖技术、代孕或领养。领导角色（如部门主任、国家组织委员会主席）的人数在各亚专业之间没有差异，但数量很少，从 0 到 <30%不等。
女性在 CT 外科手术中的代表性仍然不足，特别是在正教授的学术职称和领导职位方面。我们提倡提供奖学金和指导机会，鼓励女性进入该领域，增加女性领导，并制定政策以支持家庭。
