Perceptions of gender-based discrimination during surgical training and practice

TLDR

Let's aggregate. Background sentences: - Women represent 15% of practicing general surgeons. - Gender-based discrimination has been implicated as discouraging women from surgery. Combine into one sentence: "Women comprise only 15% of practicing general surgeons, and gender-based discrimination is believed to discourage women from pursuing surgery." Purpose/Mechanism combined: The sentence says: "We sought to determine women's perceptions of gender-based discrimination in the surgical training and working environment.

Abstract

Women represent 15% of practicing general surgeons. Gender-based discrimination has been implicated as discouraging women from surgery. We sought to determine women's perceptions of gender-based discrimination in the surgical training and working environment.Following IRB approval, we fielded a pilot survey measuring perceptions and impact of gender-based discrimination in medical school, residency training, and surgical practice. It was sent electronically to 1,065 individual members of the Association of Women Surgeons.We received 334 responses from medical students, residents, and practicing physicians with a response rate of 31%. Eighty-seven percent experienced gender-based discrimination in medical school, 88% in residency, and 91% in practice. Perceived sources of gender-based discrimination included superiors, physician peers, clinical support staff, and patients, with 40% emanating from women and 60% from men.The majority of responses indicated perceived gender-based discrimination during medical school, residency, and practice. Gender-based discrimination comes from both sexes and has a significant impact on women surgeons.