Women in Surgery

I recently completed my general surgery residency interviews. General surgery has historically been a field dominated by men, and mainly white men, for a long time. On the interview trail, I noticed that most institutions invited an equal amount of men and women candidates. This observation prompted me to look into how much the surgery demographic has changed over the years. In the past, women were disguising themselves as men in order to receive medical education (1). Even when the first women were allowed into medical schools in North America, they were unable to find a residency position (1). It is humbling to reflect on the history of women in medicine and surgery in the context of current times when most medical school classes are 50% women.

 

We all know the stereotypical traits that women are labeled as. We are meant to be caring, nurturing, kind, and a home-maker. This played an important role in preventing women from accessing medical education and entering the surgical field. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker is considered to be the first female surgeon in the United States and the first female surgeon in the US Army.  She did not fit the stereotypical mold, as she did not change her last name when she married a medical school classmate (1). This act in combination with the mere fact of being a woman, caused her first surgical practice to fail (1). As of 2009, 21.3% of all surgical specialties are made up of women, according to the American College of Surgeons (2). This shows that times have progressed for the better, however there still remains inequity based on gender today, including personality characteristics and wage. Men are more likely to be perceived as dominant and alpha like when they exhibit confident or stern behaviors while women who exhibit the same behavior are perceived as emotional or abrasive. Also, women are less likely to receive full professorship and are paid less than their male counterparts (3). Women have also been discriminated against due to having a family or for the potential of bearing children (3).

 

While we are in an era where women do not need to disguise themselves as men to become physicians, and where medical school classes are half women, academic surgery and medicine in general still has a long way to go. It is important to acknowledge gender biases that may hinder a woman’s career and address them. Though surgery is still a male dominated field, my anecdotal observation of an even ratio of applicants gives me hope that this will no longer be a fact in the near future.

 

Shukri Dualeh

DUCOM 2019

 

References:

1. Wirtzfeld, Debrah A. “The History of Women in Surgery.” Canadian Journal of Surgery, Vol. 52, No. 4, August 2009.
   Link: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/docview/195955342?pq-origsite=summon
    
2. American College of Surgeons (2010, April), “The Surgical Workforce in the United States: Profile and Recent Trends.” http://www.acshpri.org/documents/ACSHPRI_Surgical_Workforce_in_US_apr2010.pdf
    
3. Dossa, F., Baxter, N. “Reducing Gender Bias in Surgery.” British Journal of Surgery 105: 1707-1709, November 2018
   Link: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu/doi/full/10.1002/bjs.11042