A new study led by Jill Schneidman of McGill University in Canada has identified several forms of gender bias and discrimination encountered by women surgeons in the workplace. Through both on-the-job observations and qualitative interviews with women surgeons, Dr. Schneidman and her co-authors found gender influences women surgeons’ lives across three levels: organizationally, individually, and environmentally.
Organizationally, surgical specialties with a higher representation of women physicians, such as obstetrics and gynecology, are often seen as less technically challenging than other specialties. This also applies to women in other disciplines, with nearly all interviewed women reporting biases regarding their surgical competency. They often reported having less time in the operating room, being referred less complex cases, receiving less renumeration, and having lower reputations within the surgical community.
On an individual level, the participants reported challenges balancing the complex and contradictory expectations of being both a woman and a surgeon. For example, some participants noted they face additional professional demands because of their gender, such as being more caring and spending more time with patients than male surgeons. Furthermore, they also reported that behaviors valued in surgery, such as confidence and emotional detachment, are often discouraged, as they are seen as unacceptable traits for a woman.
As women have been historically underrepresented in the surgery profession, they often do not fit a patient’s traditional image of a surgeon. Some participants stated that patients are surprised when they enter the room and doubt their abilities. Additionally, the interviewed women recounted how many surgical tools and equipment have been designed for male bodies, with some surgeons referring to the surgical head covering as a “men’s hat.”
“Many of these inequities will continue to persist unless they are actively acknowledged and dismantled by the institution,” the authors conclude. “Meaningful systemic strategies and changes, rather than just individual efforts, are therefore essential — not only to increase the numerical representation of women in surgery, but also to ensure their full integration and respect within surgical spaces.”