Examining key factors on the road to leadership positions among pediatric ophthalmology faculty

To identify key factors associated with attaining leadership positions among US academic pediatric ophthalmologists, with a focus on gender, fellowship training, years of practice, research productivity, and variables related to their academic institutions.

This cross-sectional study reviewed publicly available data accessed through institutional websites. Faculty-specific variables included gender, years since residency graduation, academic rank, leadership roles, and research productivity (eg, H-index, number of publications). Institutional variables included public/private designation and location within US census regions. Research metrics were derived from Scopus. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's χ², the Fischer exact test, and the t test were used for statistical analysis, with significance at P < 0.05.

Of 125 US-based ophthalmology programs, 517 pediatric ophthalmology faculty were characterized. Women comprised 54.6% of faculty. Academic rank and H-index were strongly associated with leadership positions (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, resp.) in multivariable analysis, whereas years since fellowship completion, gender, number of fellowships, and advanced degrees were not. Women full professors had fewer years since fellowship than men (24 vs 36 years [P < 0.001]). Female leadership distribution mirrored faculty averages by region.

Academic rank and research productivity by H-Index are critical factors for achieving leadership roles for academic pediatric ophthalmologists, whereas years since fellowship graduation was not. Underrepresentation of women in full professor and senior leadership roles may reflect a lag in promotions corresponding to the increasing presence of women in pediatric ophthalmology in recent decades.