Exploring the gender gap: A nationwide comparative analysis of general surgery residency program leadership

The gender disparity in surgery leadership roles is well-reported. However, the effect of program type and region on mean number of men or women occupying a particular leadership role has yet to be explored. This study aims to investigate the gender disparity of leadership positions in different types of General Surgery Residency Programs (GSRPs).

Leadership roles of the general surgery departments were collected from the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access System (FREIDA) database. Each GSRP was categorized by region and program type using FRIEDA. Analysis of the mean number of men and women holding various leadership positions by program type and region was conducted using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc tests.

A total of 345 GSRPs were analyzed. The mean number of women occupying various leadership roles was significantly higher at university-based programs when compared to community-based programs. No significant difference in mean number of women leaders was observed by region.

Women consistently occupy a lower number of GSRP leadership positions when compared to men, regardless of program type or region. University-based GSRP leadership positions have significantly greater gender inclusion compared to community-based GSRPs.

University-based general surgery residency programs had a higher mean number of women in all leadership roles compared to other program types. In comparison, region did not appear to be a significant factor impacting the leadership gender disparity. Improvement is needed in community-based general surgery residency programs to bridge the gender gap in leadership roles.