Idrees Aiman, Rehman Aqeeb Ur, Khan Muhammad Hammad, Atiq Noor, Tanvir Ali, Abid Syeda Fatima, Atif Syed Muhammad Bin, Amjad Zunaira, Mohsin Ali, Pahwa Bhavya, Ejaz Usama, Lucke-Wold Brandon
Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.
Department of Neurosurgery, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan.
World Neurosurg. 2024 Dec;192:236-241.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.09.141. Epub 2024 Oct 25.
A low neurosurgeon-to-patient ratio persists to be a problem in many developing nations including Pakistan. Concurrent gender disparities further exacerbate the challenges posed by the already limited workforce. An understanding of the perceptions of neurosurgery among female early career doctors is crucial in the evolution of the field in terms of both, workforce strength and inclusivity.
A cross-sectional study was conducted across public and private medical schools of Pakistan. A close-ended self-administered questionnaire was employed to assess subject-reported challenges and perceptions regarding neurosurgery. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 28, and P < 0.05 was considered significant. The influence of these perceptions on the choice of neurosurgery as a career was determined by binary logistic regression analysis.
Of the 387 responses received from over 45 institutions across the country, 55.6% were females and 44.4% were male respondents. Compared to men, women were more likely to opt out of neurosurgery due to fear of problems with parenting (P < 0.001), absence of daycare facilities (P < 0.001), lack of female role models (P = 0.001), fear of gender discrimination (P < 0.001), and the mental (P = 0.04) and physical distress (P = 0.008) associated with neurosurgery. Binary logistic regression revealed that these concerns were responsible for an increased likelihood of opting out of neurosurgery among female medical students and intern doctors.
Significant differences exist in how male and female medical students perceive neurosurgery as a career choice. Interventions including availability of daycare facilities for children, creation of inclusive workplace environment, and promotion of mentorship programs catering to women can help bridge this gap and contribute to evolution of the field of neurosurgery in the developing world.
包括巴基斯坦在内的许多发展中国家，神经外科医生与患者的比例较低一直是个问题。同时存在的性别差异进一步加剧了本就有限的劳动力所带来的挑战。了解处于职业生涯早期的女性医生对神经外科的看法，对于该领域在劳动力规模和包容性方面的发展至关重要。
在巴基斯坦的公立和私立医学院开展了一项横断面研究。采用封闭式自填问卷来评估受试者报告的有关神经外科的挑战和看法。使用SPSS 28版进行统计分析，P<0.05被认为具有统计学意义。通过二元逻辑回归分析确定这些看法对选择神经外科作为职业的影响。
从全国45多个机构收到的387份回复中，55.6%为女性，44.4%为男性受访者。与男性相比，女性更有可能因担心育儿问题（P<0.001）、缺乏日托设施（P<0.001）、缺乏女性榜样（P = 0.001）、担心性别歧视（P<0.001）以及与神经外科相关的精神（P = 0.04）和身体困扰（P = 0.008）而放弃神经外科。二元逻辑回归显示，这些担忧导致女医学生和实习医生选择放弃神经外科的可能性增加。
男女医学生对神经外科作为职业选择的看法存在显著差异。包括提供儿童日托设施、营造包容的工作环境以及推广针对女性的导师计划等干预措施，可以帮助弥合这一差距，并有助于发展中国家神经外科领域的发展。
