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Franca Melfi, Carmelina C Zirafa, Patrick Myers, Gender representation in cardio-thoracic surgery, European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Volume 65, Issue 6, June 2024, ezae091, https://doi.org/10.1093/ejcts/ezae091
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While women comprise nearly half of the medical school graduates, cardio-thoracic surgery has one of the lowest proportions of women compared with other medical specialties. The number of female cardiothoracic surgical trainees has increased from 8.9% in 2007 to 23.8% in 2017, but this rate still lags far behind other surgical specialties. Furthermore, despite the advancements in gender equity and increased representation of women in medicine, there is still a noticeable disparity in leadership roles and opportunities for women in this field, from opportunities for leadership positions at medical congresses [1] to academic advancement [2] and equal pay.
Several factors can influence this leaky pipe model of training, but having role models in leadership positions is a major contributor [1, 3]. International congresses are crucial platforms for sharing knowledge, presenting research, and discussing the latest advancements in cardiac and thoracic surgery. These congresses attract a diverse range of professionals, including surgeons, researchers, and industry experts. However, when it comes to representation in speaking and leader roles, women are often underrepresented [4].