Cutting for Equity-Reconstructing the Culture of Surgery that is Still Toxic for Women Surgeons.

Abstract

Women surgeons face sexism, hostile workplace environments, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and isolation in their training and practice settings, sometimes at significant personal cost. The stakes for telling these stories have been very high for female surgeons who fear exposure, lack of support, and retaliation. Times are changing and with more voices being raised, women are feeling more empowered to speak up. With the advent of #MeToo and #TimesUpHealthcare, communities are developing that create spaces for women to tell their stories. These narratives document the experiences of women surgeons and the resilience they demonstrate in overcoming the gender-related obstacles they face. While each experience is unique, there is considerable overlap in the themes revealed by these narratives. Despite the variations in their stories, these surgeons are in agreement that the culture of surgery needs to change and that the contributions that women can bring-empathy, collaboration, compassion, kindness, wisdom, empowerment, and zero tolerance for abusive behavior, to name a few-will enrich the culture of surgery and improve patient care.