Examining Gender Disparity in Academic Abdominal Radiology in North America

Abstract Background : Gender disparity exists in nearly every medical specialty, particularly in leadership roles and academia. Radiology is not exempt from this phenomenon, with women making up less than a third of radiology residents in the United States (US). This can have long-lasting effects on the career progression of female radiologists. Our search did not reveal any study on gender composition in academic abdominal radiology. Purpose : To evaluate the academic productivity and career advancement of female academic abdominal radiology faculty in the US and Canada. Materials and methods : Parameters of academic achievement were measured, including the number of citations and publications, years of research, as well as H-index. Information regarding academic and leadership ranking amongst academic abdominal radiologists in the US and Canada was also analyzed. Results : In academic abdominal radiology, there were fewer females than males (34.9% vs 65.1%; p-value 0.256). Among the female radiologists, the greatest proportion held the rank of assistant professor (40%). Female representation decreased with increasing rank. Females had a lower H-index than males (p-value = 0.0066) and significantly fewer years of research than males (p-value = 0.0243). Conclusion : Male predominance in academic abdominal radiology is similar to many other medical specialties, and encompasses senior faculty rank, leadership roles and research productivity.