Gender Differences in Perception of Workplace Experience Among Anesthesiology Residents

Abstract

Background: Medical education is moving toward gender parity; however, many fields, including anesthesiology, remain predominantly male. The gender gap in anesthesiology is poorly recognized, and little is known about why it exists. It is possible that perceived workplace discrimination may deter women from pursuing a career in anesthesiology. We administered a survey to examine whether gender differences affect the experience of anesthesiology residents in the workplace.

Methods: This study consisted of an analysis of responses to a survey administered in 2017 via REDCap to residents at an ACGME-accredited anesthesiology training program. The survey contained 30 questions adapted from validated tools for measuring attitudes and discrimination in the workplace.

Results: Ninety-eight residents received the survey and 83 (33% female) completed it. Power calculations determined that with a sampling ratio of 3:1, 1% error rate and 80% power, a future study would require 559 respondents. There was no difference in total composite score between male and female respondents; however, when considering only those items used to assess perceived discrimination, women scored higher. Analysis of individual items revealed that women were significantly more likely to feel that their gender put them at a disadvantage in the workplace, and to note sexist behavior at work. Female residents were significantly more likely to have experienced discrimination from patients, attending physicians, and residents.

Conclusion: Our study revealed that female anesthesiology residents perceive more gender-based discrimination at work. Perceptions of workplace discrimination may contribute to the persistence of gender gaps in different areas of medicine.

Keywords: anesthesia; education; sexism.

Figure 1.

Flowchart of survey participation