Representation of Women as Neurological Surgery Society Award Recipients

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Women comprise more than half of medical school matriculants, but only 8.4% of US neurosurgeons. Awards given by neurosurgical societies are instrumental in shaping and advancing careers of women within academic neurosurgery, which can serve to increase the pipeline of women in the field. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the gender diversity of awards given by neurosurgical societies over 54 years. METHODS: Awards given by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons joint sections were classified as research, humanitarian/achievement, or lectureships and analyzed for gender. Composite gender data were obtained from the societies. Percentage differences were calculated using comparison of proportions testing. RESULTS: Ninety six distinct awards granted to 1281 individuals from 1965 to 2019 were analyzed, and 9.4% were awarded to women. Seven percent of neurosurgeon awardees were women (excluding Women in Neurosurgery Section [WINS] awards). 36.1% of awards given at least 5 times were never awarded to women. Female awardees increased from 2000-2009 to 2010-2019 (5.2% difference, P = .018). The Cerebrovascular (2.0%) and Spine (2.3%) sections awarded the fewest awards to women, whereas the WINS (73.3%) and Pediatric section (20.6%) awarded the most. Spine, WINS, Pain, Cerebrovascular, and Tumor sections awarded significantly fewer awards to women than respective society demographic proportions. One-hundred percent (39 of 39) of named awards (excluding 2 from WINS) were named after men. CONCLUSION: Women remain underrepresented in the field of neurosurgery and as award winners. Many subspecialty sections continue to give significantly fewer awards to women than their society demographic proportions.