The publication gender gap in US academic surgery

Area of Science:

• Academic Medicine
• Surgical Research
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender inequalities persist in academic surgery, despite ongoing efforts to address disparities.
• Terms like "glass ceiling" and "sticky floor" are still relevant in describing women's roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in publication quantity and impact in academic surgery.
• To assess bibliometric data based on gender across academic surgical departments.

Main Methods:

• Review of surgical department websites from three academic centers.
• Analysis of publication bibliometrics (quantity and H-index) by gender over a two-week period.
• Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA to compare gender-based metrics.

Main Results:

• Men demonstrated a significantly higher H-index compared to women (p > .05).
• Men published significantly more articles than women (p = .019).
• The most pronounced differences were observed at the associate and full professor ranks, with men having substantially higher publication output and H-indexes.

Conclusions:

• Findings corroborate previous research indicating gender disparities in academic advancement.
• Publication productivity appears to be a contributing factor to the slower career progression of women in academic surgery.
• Further research is needed to understand the root causes of these gender differences to inform interventions aimed at achieving equity.