ArticlePloS one2020
Women in academic surgery over the last four decades.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Patient-physician sex concordance and outcomes in cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.European heart journal · 2024Pooled it
- The Challenges Experienced By Female Surgeons in Africa: A Systematic Review.World journal of surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Where Are the Women in Basic Science Research? Gender Trends in Abstracts Presented at the Academic Surgical Congress.The Journal of surgical research · 2026Article
- Progress and Gaps: Two Decades of Female Authorship in High-Impact Otolaryngology Journals.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Breaking the scalpel ceiling: Gender inequality in global transplant surgery.World journal of methodology · 2026Article
- Association of surgeon sex with postoperative adverse outcomes in adult cardiac surgery: a nationwide cohort study.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2026Article
- Patient-Surgeon Sex Concordance and Clinical Outcomes After Adult Cardiac Surgery.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2026Article
- Article
- Sex-based differences in musculoskeletal pain among surgeons: an international survey.Surgical endoscopy · 2025Article
- The Top 100 Cited Articles in Otology and Neurotology and Analysis of Female Authorship.Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology · 2025Article
- Persistent Gender Disparity in Authorship of Arthroscopic Surgery Research.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Article
- Comparing Different Pathways in Medical Education and Surgical Training: A Global Survey of Surgeons.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2024Article
- A Comparison of Demographic Diversity Between Orthopaedic Surgery Residents and ACGME Foot and Ankle Fellows From 2007 to 2022.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Residents' Perspectives of Pregnancy and Growing a Family During Surgical Training: A Review of the Literature.Cureus · 2024Review
- Research productivity and gender of research award recipients in international ophthalmology societies.BMJ open ophthalmology · 2024Observational
- Attractiveness and gender dynamics in surgical specialties: a comparative analysis of French medical graduates (2017-2022).BMC medical education · 2024Article
- On achieving gender equity within the liver transplantation medical and surgical workforce.Frontiers in transplantation · 2024Article
- Gender parity in high impact neurology journals.eNeurologicalSci · 2023Article
- Gender Disparities in Cardiac Surgery Trials: Leadership, Authorship, and Patient Enrollment.The Annals of thoracic surgery · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAs the number of female medical students and surgical residents increases, the increasing number of female academic surgeons has been disproportionate. The purpose of this brief report is to evaluate the AAMC data from 1969 to 2018 to compare the level of female academic faculty representation for surgical specialties over the past four decades.
designThe number of women as a percentage of the total surgeons per year were recorded for each year from 1969-2018, the most recent year available. Descriptive statistics were performed. Poisson regression examined the percentage of women in each field as the outcome of interest with the year and specialty (using general surgery as a reference) as two predictor variables.
settingData from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC).
participantsAll full-time academic faculty physicians in the specialties of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), general surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology (ENT), plastic surgery, plastic surgery, urology, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery and cardiothoracic surgery as per AAMC records.
resultsThe percentage of women in surgery for all specialties evaluated increased from 1969 to 2018 (OR 1.04, p<0.001). Compared with general surgery, the rate of yearly percentage change increased more slowly in neurosurgery (OR 0.84; P = .004), orthopaedic surgery (OR 0.82; P = .002), urology (OR 0.59; P < .001), and cardiothoracic surgery (OR 0.38; P < .001). There was no significant difference in the rate of yearly percentage change for plastic surgery (OR 1.01; P = .840). The rate of yearly percentage change increased more rapidly in OB/GYN (OR 2.86; P < .001), ophthalmology (OR 1.79; P < .001) and ENT (OR 1.70; P < .001).
conclusionsRepresentation of women in academic surgery is increasing overall but is increasing more slowly in orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery and urology compared with that in general surgery. These data may be used to inform and further the discussion of how mentorship and sponsorship of female students and trainees interested in surgical careers may improve gender equity in the future.
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