Demographics in general surgery programs: Relationship between female faculty and proportion of female residents

Abstract

Introduction: We hypothesized that general surgery programs with more female faculty and leadership may be associated with more female residents.

Methods: The Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access system (FREIDA) was assessed for chair gender, program director gender, percentage of female faculty, and percentage of female residents at general surgery residency programs. Programs were stratified by type: university-based (UB), community-based/university-affiliated (UA) and community-based (CB).

Results: 304 general surgery programs reported a mean of 38.4% female residents which did not differ by program type. Chairs were more likely female in UB programs (12.8%) versus 5.5% in UA and CB programs (p = 0.05). There were more female faculty at UB programs (23.3%) versus UA (21.7%) and CB (17.4%) (p = 0.04). Chair (p = 0.21), program director (p = 0.98) and faculty gender proportion (p = 0.40) was not associated with female resident complement.

Conclusions: In general surgery programs, faculty and leadership gender composition was not associated with proportion of female residents.

Keywords: Gender diversity; General surgery; Program director; Surgery education; Surgery resident; Women in surgery.