Advancing Women Physicians in Academic Medicine: A Scoping Review

Multiple studies have described higher rates of attrition for women in academic medicine, but actionable strategies to retain women in the field have not been well studied in the current era. This study reviewed the existing literature for studied interventions to support the advancement of women physicians in academic medicine.

A scoping review was conducted by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for articles describing interventions intended to support women physicians on September 12, 2022, and updated on August 23, 2024. All articles from inception of the databases through the search dates were included. Search terms included female physician , mentoring , leadership , career development , job satisfaction , advancement , and synonyms. Articles related to inequities in patient care, interventions related to nonphysician health care workers, and studies describing sexism without measured solutions were excluded from the analysis. Kirkpatrick's framework for the evaluation of educational programs was used to further classify results by 4 levels of evaluation for an educational or training program: reaction, learning, behavior, and results.

A total of 2,813 articles underwent abstract screening and full-text review, with 64 articles included in the final analysis. Seven studies (10.9%) were randomized controlled trials. Only 2 studies (3.1%) specifically examined mid- or late-career women. Career development programs (15 [23.4%]), mentorship programs (10 [15.6%]), and women's interest groups (7 [10.9%]) were the most described interventions. Outcome measures were most commonly satisfaction with the intervention (22 [34.4%]), self-perceived improvement in skills (17 [26.6%]), and representation or recruitment of women into a field (12 [18.8%]).

This study describes 64 articles of studied interventions to support the advancement of women in medicine. Additional studies are needed and should emphasize rigorous study methods, a focus on institutional solutions, and identifying and targeting the needs of women physicians beyond their early career.