Gender disparities in advanced endoscopy fellowship

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Education
• Gender Studies in Medicine

Background:

• Women are significantly underrepresented in gastroenterology, particularly in advanced endoscopy fellowship (AEF) programs.
• In 2019, only 12.8% of fellows matching into AEF programs were women, despite women comprising 30% of general gastroenterology fellows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess program characteristics and identify perceived barriers and facilitators influencing women's pursuit of AEF training.
• To understand the gender disparity in advanced endoscopy fellowship programs.

Main Methods:

• A web-based survey was administered to program directors (PDs) of AEF programs participating in the 2018-2019 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) match.
• Survey assessed PD and program characteristics, perceived barriers, and facilitators on a 1-5 scale.

Main Results:

• 38 out of 64 PDs responded (59.3%). Women comprised 15.8% of AEF PDs and 13.2% of endoscopy chiefs.
• Women represented 14.8% of AEF faculty and 12.0% of AEF trainees over the past decade.
• Key barriers identified: inflexible hours/call (3.3/5), fluoroscopy exposure (2.9/5), lack of female role models at conferences (2.9/5), and insufficient female mentorship (2.9/5).

Conclusions:

• Women remain a minority in AEF leadership, faculty, and trainee positions.
• The study highlights significant perceived barriers to women entering advanced endoscopy.
• Enhancing female representation in faculty and leadership is essential for improving recruitment and addressing gender disparity.