Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 9501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States.
Northeast Ohio Medical University, 4209 State Route 44, PO Box 95, Rootstown, OH 44272, United States.
Curr Probl Diagn Radiol. 2025 Jan-Feb;54(1):11-15. doi: 10.1067/j.cpradiol.2024.10.017. Epub 2024 Nov 26.
Although women are well-represented in medical schools, they have remained a significant minority in radiology, with little recent progress made in bridging the gender gap. Underrepresentation of women is even more pronounced in radiology leadership and research positions, a phenomenon termed the "leaky pipeline." We aim to present the root causes of female underrepresentation in radiology based on existing literature and propose specific interventions for this issue based on engaging female medical students in radiology education. Factors contributing to the so-called leaky pipeline can be categorized as underexposure to radiology and preconceived notions, female disinterest in radiology, lack of mentorship, and female underrepresentation in academic authorship and leadership roles. We propose that combined application of early engagement of female medical students in radiology, increasing available female mentorship, and increased female visibility in the field will serve as an effective approach toward the complex, multifactorial problem of female underrepresentation in radiology.
尽管女性在医学院中表现出色，但在放射科领域，她们仍然是少数群体，而且在缩小性别差距方面几乎没有取得任何近期进展。女性在放射科领导层和研究职位中的代表性不足更为明显，这种现象被称为“渗漏管道”。我们旨在根据现有文献阐述放射科中女性代表性不足的根本原因，并提出基于让女性医学生参与放射科教育的具体干预措施。导致所谓“渗漏管道”的因素可分为接触放射科机会不足和存在先入为主的观念、女性对放射科缺乏兴趣、缺乏指导以及女性在学术著作和领导角色中的代表性不足。我们提出，综合应用早期让女性医学生接触放射科、增加可用的女性指导以及增加女性在该领域的可见度，将是解决放射科女性代表性不足这一复杂、多因素问题的有效方法。
