A Cross-Sectional Public Data Study of Female Leaders in Surgical Critical Care Fellowships

Female leadership in surgery has been associated with improved gender parity in staffing and stronger focus on wellness. The aim of this study was to examine the gender distribution of leaders in Surgical Critical Care (SCC) training programs. We hypothesize that male and female leaders would have different levels of scholarly achievements, and that programs led by women would be more likely to emphasize wellness initiatives in public-facing websites.

We analyzed SCC programs from 2018 to 2022, and identified leaders in the roles of Fellowship Program Director (PD), Division Chief, and Department Chair were from department websites. Program information, characteristics of leaders such as additional degrees and academic productivity, and wellness initiatives were collected. Academic productivity was approximated using the H-index.

Data from 126 SCC program showed that women were underrepresented (female faculty = 33%, female leaders = 27%). Most female leaders were PDs (61.3%) rather than division chief or chair. Male and female leaders had similar H-index and additional degrees (all P > 0.05). Female leadership correlated with higher female faculty representation (P < 0.001). Programs with female PDs were more likely to emphasize wellness in public-facing platforms (odds ratio 3.34, P = 0.03).

Female leadership in SCC is associated with greater female representation and a stronger emphasis on wellness initiatives. This study reinforces importance of inclusive leadership in Acute Care Surgery.