Sexual harassment and women in surgery: Changing the lived experience

Abstract

More than half of medical students in the United States today are women1; however, women continue to be a minority in surgical specialties2 and are significantly underrepresented in leadership positions.3 Currently, women represent about 20% of practicing surgeons, 25% of tenured professors, 18% of surgical department chairs, and 16% of medical school deans across the country.4–6 Surgery has long been classified as a “boys club” and today remains male-dominated. Research shows that male-dominated specialties have a higher incidence of sexual harassment.