Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Head Neck. 2024 Jun;46(6):1406-1416. doi: 10.1002/hed.27755. Epub 2024 Mar 28.
Gender inequity exists across national speakers at American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) conferences. This qualitative study explores potential causes of this disparity by surveying women invited to speak at AHNS between 2007 and 2019 and examining advice, resources, and meaningful actions from "those who made it."
An internet search for contact information for the 131 female AHNS was performed. An electronic survey was distributed via email. Deidentified qualitative responses were coded by two independent researchers into themes. Themes characterize barriers that female head and neck (HN) surgeons face and describe ways to mitigate the impact of these for the next generation.
Contact information for 73/131 female AHNS speakers was obtained via internet search. Email responses were received from 22/73 (30%). Of those, respondents specialized in otolaryngology (n = 17), medical oncology (n = 2), palliative care (n = 1), vascular surgery (n = 1), and thoracic surgical oncology (n = 1). All speakers worked in academic settings at varying stages of their career with 81.8% (18/22) of respondents fellowship-trained (primarily HN surgery). Concerns about gender disparity in ENT were grouped into the following themes: (1) recruiting women to ENT, (2) removing barriers to career advancement, (3) diversifying ENT's national presence, and (4) improving the broader culture of HN surgery. Respondents emphasized a need for diversifying leadership, early exposure to otolaryngology in medical school, and connecting students with female role models. Outstanding research, involvement at annual meetings, and committee membership were consistently deemed important for establishing a national presence in the field. Implicit bias, "boys clubs" culture, and burdensome childcare responsibilities were described as barriers to career advancement.
While encouraging more women to enter otolaryngology residencies, increasing the number female role models and establishing strong mentoring networks may help to mitigate challenges. Meaningful progress requires the efforts of both male and female allies within the specialty. Simple solutions, such as educating on implicit bias, removing demographics from applications, and eliminating hidden penalties for maternity leave, may help improve diversity and mitigate barriers to career progression for underrepresented groups within ENT.
在美国头颈部学会（AHNS）会议上，存在着国家代表之间的性别不平等现象。本研究通过调查 2007 年至 2019 年间受邀在 AHNS 发言的女性，并研究“成功人士”的建议、资源和有效措施，探讨造成这种差异的潜在原因。
通过互联网搜索，获得了 131 名女性 AHNS 的联系方式。通过电子邮件分发了电子调查。两名独立研究人员对匿名的定性回复进行了编码，形成主题。主题描述了头颈部（HN）女外科医生面临的障碍，并描述了为下一代减轻这些障碍影响的方法。
通过互联网搜索，获得了 73/131 名女性 AHNS 演讲者的联系方式。通过电子邮件收到了 22/73（30%）的回复。其中，受访者专门从事耳鼻喉科（n=17）、肿瘤内科（n=2）、姑息治疗（n=1）、血管外科（n=1）和胸外科肿瘤学（n=1）。所有演讲者都在学术环境中工作，处于职业生涯的不同阶段，其中 81.8%（18/22）的受访者接受过 fellowship 培训（主要是 HN 外科）。耳鼻喉科性别差异的担忧分为以下主题：（1）招募女性从事 ENT 工作，（2）消除职业发展障碍，（3）使 ENT 的国家影响力多样化，（4）改善 HN 外科的整体文化。受访者强调需要多样化领导，在医学院早期接触耳鼻喉科，并让学生与女性榜样建立联系。杰出的研究、年度会议的参与和委员会成员资格一直被认为是在该领域建立国家影响力的重要因素。隐性偏见、“男孩俱乐部”文化和繁重的育儿责任被描述为职业发展的障碍。
在鼓励更多女性进入耳鼻喉科住院医师培训的同时，增加女性榜样的数量并建立强大的指导网络，可能有助于缓解挑战。这需要该领域的男性和女性盟友共同努力。简单的解决方案，如对隐性偏见进行教育、从申请中删除人口统计信息以及消除产假的隐性惩罚，可能有助于提高多样性并减轻耳鼻喉科代表性不足群体在职业发展方面的障碍。
