*EMBARGOED All research presented at the World Congress of Gastroenterology at ACG2017 is strictly embargoed until Monday, October 16, 2017, at 8:00 am EDT.
Poster 329 Gender Disparity in Academic Gastroenterology: The Under-Representation of Women Continues
Author Insight from Elizabeth S. John, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University
What’s new here and important for clinicians?
- While there has been significant progress for women in academic medicine, women remain underrepresented in all stages of their careers, from medical school applications to academic leadership.
- This underrepresentation of women in higher-ranked faculty positions has been well documented in many medical specialties, as well as other in fields such as business and industry.
- To measure academic productivity, the h-index is used. This index, developed by Dr. J. E. Hirsch, measures one’s research productivity by considering both the quantity and academic impact of an individual’s research and publications. This parameter therefore allows one to gauge the amount of research an individual has published, as well as its relative impact, which is determined by the number of times their work was cited by other researchers.
- There appear to be many reasons why female physicians fail to rise in academic rank. Although the traditional family, consisting of a working husband and a stay-at-home wife, now represents a minority of American families, a survey of early-career physician researchers found that women spent an average of 8.5 more hours per week on domestic activities than men. While job flexibility and the ability to work part-time may assist female physicians in balancing their home and work duties, these options can hinder their academic productivity. Additionally, women generally spend more time teaching and in patient care than men.
Author Contact
Elizabeth S. John, MD, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University
elizabethjohn17@gmail.com
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