Abstract A075: Gender diversity in academic oncology programs

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: This study sought to examine gender diversity among academic faculty of medical oncology, hematology/oncology, and radiation oncology residency programs in the United States (U.S.), Canada, and Spain. Methods: Data from the Association of American Medical College (AAMC) were used to examine faculty composition of medical oncology, hematology/oncology, and radiation oncology departments in U.S. institutions for the years 1977 and 2017. For international data, public webpages listing post-graduate training programs in medical oncology and radiation oncology were examined and the genders of department heads were recorded. Results: In the U.S., in 1977, women made up 8%, 9%, and 7% of the total workforce among hematology/oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology faculty positions, respectively, compared to 44%, 40%, and 27%, respectively, in 2017. Regarding departmental leadership, in the U.S., 9% (8/89) of radiation oncology department chairs were women. In Canada, for radiation oncology, 11 department heads were men, 1 was a woman, and 1 department could not be determined (8-15% women). For medical oncology, 10 department heads were men, 3 women, and 2 were unknown (20-33% women). In Spain, 12 radiation oncology heads were women, 28 men, and 8 were unknown (25-42% women); for medical oncology, 14 department heads were women, 52 were men, and 11 were unknown (25-42% women). Conclusions: Women have historically increased in representation in the U.S. oncology workforce; however, they remain under-represented relative to the overall U.S. population. Women were also under-represented at the level of chair in the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Further research and efforts are needed to enlist and advance women in oncologic fields both nationally and internationally and understand barriers to training, practice, and advancement. Citation Format: Crystal S. Seldon, Awad A. Ahmed, Ricardo Llorente, Stella K. Yoo, Emma B. Holliday, Charles R. Thomas, Reshma Jagsi, Curtiland Deville Jr. Gender diversity in academic oncology programs [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A075.