Yet, there is a paucity of data regarding the motivations of female physicians and scientists to build a career in academic oncology. Inequality in gender representation within academic oncology is pronounced. 5 - 9 Data suggest that, although women may be more likely to pursue careers in academic medicine and may have similar research productivity compared with men, they also leave academia at a higher rate and are less likely to be promoted or appointed to leadership roles.
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2 Of the most recent leadership roles in professional oncology associations, 3 of the 25 presidents of the American Society for Radiation Oncology, 7 of the 25 presidents of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, 4 of the 25 presidents of the Society of Surgical Oncology, 4 of the 17 presidents of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and 0 of the 5 directors of the National Cancer Institute were women. 2 - 4 Women are particularly underrepresented among the leadership in oncology specialties, occupying 31.4% of the chair positions in medical oncology, 17.4% in radiation oncology, and 11.1% in surgical oncology. 1 However, women represent only 35.9% of academic oncology faculty, including 37.1% in hematology/oncology, 30.7% in radiation oncology, 38.8% in surgical oncology, and approximately 50% in pediatric hematology/oncology. Enrollment of women in US medical schools has surpassed that of men, and 45.0% of hematology/oncology fellows, 30.3% of radiation oncology residents, and 70.5% of pediatric hematology/oncology fellows are women. Underrepresentation of women in academic oncology is a growing concern. Given that more than 20% of female academic oncologists were considering leaving academia, gender inequality is at high risk of continuing if the culture is not addressed. Most respondents reported that they would choose the same career path again (301 academic oncologists 168 nonacademic oncologists ) however, 92 academic oncologists (21.9%) reported they were likely to pursue a career outside of academic oncology in the next 5 years.Ĭonclusions and Relevance This survey study found that a spouse or partner and/or family were factors in the career choice of both academic and nonacademic oncologists and that female gender was largely perceived to adversely affect job promotion. Academic and nonacademic oncologists reported rarely or never having a sense of belonging in their work environment (33 and 5 P < .001). More than half of the women surveyed (54.6% academic oncologists 50.6% nonacademic oncologists P = .61) believed they were less likely to be promoted compared with male colleagues. Respondents had different perceptions of how their gender affected their ability to obtain a chosen job, with 116 academic oncologists (27.6%) and 101 nonacademic oncologists (41.2%) reporting a positive or somewhat positive impact ( P = .001). Nonacademic oncologists perceived the biggest sacrifice of pursuing academics to be pressure for academic promotion (102 ). Academic oncologists perceived the biggest sacrifice of pursuing academics to be time with loved ones (181 ). Approximately 25% of respondents reported that their spouse or partner (156 ) and/or family (176 ) extremely or moderately affected their decision to pursue academic practice. Results Among the 667 female respondents, 422 (63.2%) identified as academic oncologists and 245 (36.8%) identified as nonacademic oncologists. Data were collected anonymously and analyzed using t tests for continuous variables and χ 2 tests for categorical variables. Main Outcomes and Measures No single primary study outcome was established because of the cross-sectional nature of the survey. The survey was open for 3 months, from August 1 to October 31, 2020. Objective To identify the key factors associated with female oncologists’ decision to pursue academic or nonacademic oncology practice and to characterize their perceptions about their current career.ĭesign, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional survey study was distributed through email and social media to female physicians in academic and nonacademic oncology practice in the United States. Importance Women outnumber men in US medical school enrollment, but they represent less than 40% of academic oncology faculty. Shared Decision Making and Communication.Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine.Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment.Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience.Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography.