Why We need More Women in Surgical Specialties

Written by Mia Cain

Surgery is amongst one of the most popular specialties with over fourteen sub-specialties recognized. Amongst those surgeons, women only make up about 22% of general surgeons, though percentages within other specialties vary. Regardless, the medical field benefits greatly from having female surgeons because of the essential perspectives they bring and overall better patient outcomes.

As mentioned, women only make up around 22% of general surgeons; however, in sub-specialties like orthopedic surgery, they only make up about 5.9%. Similarly, women are often passed over for promotions and receive fewer grant offerings, Harvard Medical School says. Much of these gaps often exist due to the stereotypes that women would rather focus more on raising a family than accepting a promotion or continuing research. Additionally, when a woman does take time off to care for her family or for other reasons, their salary doesn’t rise as steadily or as high as their male counterparts because of the stereotypes that exist. Although work-life balances are a concern for most women, it’s also a concern for just about everyone who enters the medical field since it can be so taxing. That being said, women are still allocated less resources, further pushing the disparities between men and women.

However, despite the challenges women in surgical fields face, they still are able to provide better patient care. Studies suggest “people operated on by female surgeons have less chance of problems after the procedure than if they were operated on by men” (World Economic Forum). Similarly, in an article by Outpatient Surgery Magazine, it was stated that recent studies found “that patients treated by female surgeons were less likely to experience adverse complications and readmissions at 30 days, 90 days and one-year post-op.” Moreover, “the research found that at 90 days post-op, patients treated by male surgeons experienced complications around 14% of the time, compared to 12.5% of the time when treated by female surgeons.” Although there’s only about a 1.5% difference between the two percentages, having lesser odds of developing complications with a female surgeon only further proves the need for more of them in the field.

Not only do women provide better patient outcomes, but they can also offer up unique yet important perspectives. Prior studies showcase that women communicate more effectively with patients, making them more informed of their procedure. They also take time to better explain post-operative care so their patients can hopefully avoid any complications. Women also face unique challenges within healthcare in general, so sometimes stories like these can built better rapport with patients.

With the medical field continuing to expand year by year, it’s even more critical to build better and more caring spaces for female surgeons. Women in surgery do outstanding work, but allocated the same time and resources as their male counterparts can offer a more inclusive, encouraging environment for them to thrive.