Demographics and Productivity Trends Among Academically Affiliated Female Retina Specialists in the United States

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of personal, professional, and academic experiences on the publication productivity of academically affiliated female retina specialists in the United States. Methods: Between April and July 2023, a survey was distributed to academically affiliated female retina specialists in the US whose emails were found on public faculty webpages of ophthalmology departments at academic institutions. The survey gathered demographic information and the timing of personal, professional, and academic life experiences. H-indexes and most productive years were obtained from Scopus. Quantitative data were analyzed using Excel (Microsoft Corp). Results: A total of 59 responses were recorded, yielding a 38.6% response rate. The mean h-index of the cohort was 17.2 ± 15.7 (range, 0-74; IQR, 2.2-32.2). Of the 17 respondents (28.8%) who completed a research year during medical school, 16 (94.1%) reported that it was productive owing to their choice of mentor, who was male in 82.4% of cases. Of the 48 respondents (81.4%) with children, 19 (39.6%) delayed childbearing until after their fellowship, while 16 (33.3%) had children during their fellowship. The most productive year corresponded with the years of residency graduation (P < .05) and fellowship graduation (P < .05). Conclusions: Academically affiliated female retina specialists in the US experience male-dominated mentorship and tend to complete residency and fellowship before childbearing. Their average h-index is higher compared to some colleagues. Peaks in productivity correspond with the completion of training, specifically the years of residency and fellowship graduation.