Neurology faculty gender gap confirmed, but explanations remain scant

 

Despite a wide gap between male and female neurologists, both in terms of academic faculty rank and number of publications, there may be some good news for women in this medical field.

A recent study of the 1,712 academic neurologists across 29 top-ranked neurology programs revealed that 1,184 (69%) were men and 528 (31%) were women, and men outnumbered women in all academic faculty ranks with a gap that increased as the rank advanced. For example, at the rank of instructor/lecturer, the male-to-female ratio was 59% to 41%. The gap only widens from there: assistant professor (57% male), associate professor (70%), and professor (86%).

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The disparity “is to be expected because individuals with more senior academic rank are more likely to have graduated when the ratio of male to female medical students was higher,” Mollie McDermott, MD, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her colleagues wrote in a study published April 2 in JAMA Neurology. “However, even after controlling for years since medical school graduation, fewer women than men have achieved the rank of full professor.”

Additionally, unadjusted analyses showed that men had significantly more publications listed in PubMed than women at the positions of assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor.

The investigators compiled their list of programs and faculty members by combining the top 20 programs listed on either the 2016 or 2017 Doximity Residency Navigator tool with the top 20 programs listed in the U.S. News and World Report ranking of Best Graduate Schools and a search of the programs’ departmental websites between December 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016.

The study was not able to account for many potential explanations for the gender gap, suggesting that the findings may not necessarily be indicative of bad news.

The results “can be viewed as either disappointing or encouraging, depending on whether they reflect persistent barriers to women trying to achieve similar goals as men, or whether they reflect a system that supports women with different goals altogether,” Dr. McDermott and her colleagues wrote.

 

For example, the authors note that there are a variety of explanations for the gender gap in both rank and publication, including asymmetric home or childcare responsibilities, cultural stereotypes, professional isolation, and different career motivations, though the study was not able to account for those variables.

“Compared with men, women may be more likely to be recruited for employment positions that emphasize teaching and mentoring rather than research, or women may be more inclined to choose such positions,” the authors noted, adding that academic institutions are moving beyond traditional measures of academic productivity (publication rate, publication impact, and grant support) to recognize other factors, such as the quality and quantity of teaching, the development of educational resources, and administrative effectiveness.

If the numbers reflect persistent barriers to women, “it will be important to develop programs to heighten awareness of diversity in academic neurology,” the authors stated. On the flip side, if the numbers reflect a system that is supporting different goals, “academic neurology departments should be encouraged to foster a variety of career paths and expectations for all faculty.”

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Jerry Isler Neuromuscular Fund.

gtwachtman@mdedge.com

SOURCE: McDermott M et al. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Apr 2. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.0275.

 

Despite a wide gap between male and female neurologists, both in terms of academic faculty rank and number of publications, there may be some good news for women in this medical field.

A recent study of the 1,712 academic neurologists across 29 top-ranked neurology programs revealed that 1,184 (69%) were men and 528 (31%) were women, and men outnumbered women in all academic faculty ranks with a gap that increased as the rank advanced. For example, at the rank of instructor/lecturer, the male-to-female ratio was 59% to 41%. The gap only widens from there: assistant professor (57% male), associate professor (70%), and professor (86%).

Thinkstock photo

The disparity “is to be expected because individuals with more senior academic rank are more likely to have graduated when the ratio of male to female medical students was higher,” Mollie McDermott, MD, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her colleagues wrote in a study published April 2 in JAMA Neurology. “However, even after controlling for years since medical school graduation, fewer women than men have achieved the rank of full professor.”

Additionally, unadjusted analyses showed that men had significantly more publications listed in PubMed than women at the positions of assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor.

The investigators compiled their list of programs and faculty members by combining the top 20 programs listed on either the 2016 or 2017 Doximity Residency Navigator tool with the top 20 programs listed in the U.S. News and World Report ranking of Best Graduate Schools and a search of the programs’ departmental websites between December 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016.

The study was not able to account for many potential explanations for the gender gap, suggesting that the findings may not necessarily be indicative of bad news.

The results “can be viewed as either disappointing or encouraging, depending on whether they reflect persistent barriers to women trying to achieve similar goals as men, or whether they reflect a system that supports women with different goals altogether,” Dr. McDermott and her colleagues wrote.

 

For example, the authors note that there are a variety of explanations for the gender gap in both rank and publication, including asymmetric home or childcare responsibilities, cultural stereotypes, professional isolation, and different career motivations, though the study was not able to account for those variables.

“Compared with men, women may be more likely to be recruited for employment positions that emphasize teaching and mentoring rather than research, or women may be more inclined to choose such positions,” the authors noted, adding that academic institutions are moving beyond traditional measures of academic productivity (publication rate, publication impact, and grant support) to recognize other factors, such as the quality and quantity of teaching, the development of educational resources, and administrative effectiveness.

If the numbers reflect persistent barriers to women, “it will be important to develop programs to heighten awareness of diversity in academic neurology,” the authors stated. On the flip side, if the numbers reflect a system that is supporting different goals, “academic neurology departments should be encouraged to foster a variety of career paths and expectations for all faculty.”

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Jerry Isler Neuromuscular Fund.

gtwachtman@mdedge.com

SOURCE: McDermott M et al. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Apr 2. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.0275.

 

Despite a wide gap between male and female neurologists, both in terms of academic faculty rank and number of publications, there may be some good news for women in this medical field.

A recent study of the 1,712 academic neurologists across 29 top-ranked neurology programs revealed that 1,184 (69%) were men and 528 (31%) were women, and men outnumbered women in all academic faculty ranks with a gap that increased as the rank advanced. For example, at the rank of instructor/lecturer, the male-to-female ratio was 59% to 41%. The gap only widens from there: assistant professor (57% male), associate professor (70%), and professor (86%).

Thinkstock photo

The disparity “is to be expected because individuals with more senior academic rank are more likely to have graduated when the ratio of male to female medical students was higher,” Mollie McDermott, MD, of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her colleagues wrote in a study published April 2 in JAMA Neurology. “However, even after controlling for years since medical school graduation, fewer women than men have achieved the rank of full professor.”

Additionally, unadjusted analyses showed that men had significantly more publications listed in PubMed than women at the positions of assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor.

The investigators compiled their list of programs and faculty members by combining the top 20 programs listed on either the 2016 or 2017 Doximity Residency Navigator tool with the top 20 programs listed in the U.S. News and World Report ranking of Best Graduate Schools and a search of the programs’ departmental websites between December 1, 2015, and April 30, 2016.

The study was not able to account for many potential explanations for the gender gap, suggesting that the findings may not necessarily be indicative of bad news.

The results “can be viewed as either disappointing or encouraging, depending on whether they reflect persistent barriers to women trying to achieve similar goals as men, or whether they reflect a system that supports women with different goals altogether,” Dr. McDermott and her colleagues wrote.

 

For example, the authors note that there are a variety of explanations for the gender gap in both rank and publication, including asymmetric home or childcare responsibilities, cultural stereotypes, professional isolation, and different career motivations, though the study was not able to account for those variables.

“Compared with men, women may be more likely to be recruited for employment positions that emphasize teaching and mentoring rather than research, or women may be more inclined to choose such positions,” the authors noted, adding that academic institutions are moving beyond traditional measures of academic productivity (publication rate, publication impact, and grant support) to recognize other factors, such as the quality and quantity of teaching, the development of educational resources, and administrative effectiveness.

If the numbers reflect persistent barriers to women, “it will be important to develop programs to heighten awareness of diversity in academic neurology,” the authors stated. On the flip side, if the numbers reflect a system that is supporting different goals, “academic neurology departments should be encouraged to foster a variety of career paths and expectations for all faculty.”

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Jerry Isler Neuromuscular Fund.

gtwachtman@mdedge.com

SOURCE: McDermott M et al. JAMA Neurol. 2018 Apr 2. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.0275.