Women in surgery: slow progress for mothers

Survey evidence published recently showed staggering levels of sexual harassment (and worse) in surgery.12 Evidence from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that surgery is also an environment where combining motherhood with a medical career is particularly challenging. Women in male dominated medical specialties, including surgery, have fewer children and take shorter periods of maternity leave than women in other specialties.34 Mothers in surgery work more hours after returning from leave than those in other specialties.3We are unable to unpick whether these differences reflect choices imposed on women by the structure of surgical training or the working culture. But they do contribute to the overall picture of an environment unwelcoming to many women and not sufficiently supportive of their needs.Given that female surgeons take less parental leave and are more likely to work full time, one might expect their career progression to be harmed less by parenthood than mothers in…
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