Women in thoracic surgery: an ancient tradition and a new milestone

Abstract

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, in collaboration with Women in Thoracic Surgery, will be including in the 2000 Annual Meeting this month, a special symposium highlighting the role of women in our field. As of last year, the ABTS has certified 98 women in its 51-year history. In commemoration of this milestone, we felt that it would be an ideal time to reflect on the achievements and contributions of women to our specialty. In so doing we hope to offer inspiration to those following us and encouragement to our colleagues to support and mentor women committed to careers in thoracic surgery. The heritage of women in surgery goes back to the dawn of Western civilization. The grave of the Sumerian Queen Shubad of Ur (circa 3500 BC) contained instruments indicating that she practiced surgery. Pictures depicting women surgeons are common on the walls of the ancient temples and tombs in Egypt [1Pastena J.A. Women in surgery. An ancient tradition.Arch Surg. 1993; 128: 622-626Crossref PubMed Scopus (26) Google Scholar]. During the Middle Ages the male-dominated church relegated women to an inferior position. Nevertheless, some medical education continued particularly in Salerno, Italy where in the 11th century, a woman named Tortola wrote a treatise on gynecology that became the authoritative text for centuries [2Mead K.C. A History of Women in Medicine From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century. Haddam Press, Haddam, Conn1938Google Scholar]. When practitioners were first salaried and organized into guilds during the 13th century, women were active participants. However, by the 17th century, as guilds became stronger, women were gradually excluded from practicing medicine [3Miller C.A. Presidential address. What a woman doing in a place like this?.Surg Neurol. 1994; 42: 171-176Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar]. In the American colonies, medical education was in the hands of male private practitioners who refused to teach women. In seeking to study medicine, women were challenging what was perceived to be a male prerogative. By the mid-19th century, however, encouraged by the women right’s movements, the first women secured formal training in the US. By 1893, 10% of medical students were women. The modern contributions of women to the development of thoracic surgery can be traced as far back as the last century. Dr Louise Robinovitch, a graduate of Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1889, continued her studies and research in France in the 1900’s. There she discovered that pulsed electrical stimuli could be used for cardiac resuscitation. She designed equipment, which was the forerunner of the automatic implantable defibrillator. Discouraged by her advisors and unable to obtain training, Dr Helen Taussig, had wanted to be a cardiac surgeon when she began her medical career. It would be many years later before the barriers would begin to crack. In 1961, Drs Nina Starr Braunwald, Ann McKiel and Nermin Tuttunji became the first women certified by the ABTS. Although women physicians are increasing in number, they are not achieving as rapidly leadership positions. Currently women represent approximately 22% of physicians, 36% of residents and 42% of medical students. Although the proportion of women who are full-time faculty has grown from 15% in 1975 to 26% in 1996, fewer than 10% were full professors compared with 31% of men faculty [4AAMC Women in US Academic Medicine Statistics 1996.Google Scholar]. According to the “Fifth Report of the Council on Graduate Medical Education: Women and Medicine”, gender bias, a reflection of society’s value system, remains the single greatest deterrent to women achieving their full potential and persists as a barrier throughout the professional life cycle [5COGME Fifth Report: Women & Medicine Publication number HRSA-P-DM-95-1 Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office, July, 1995.Google Scholar]. Women in Thoracic Surgery is dedicated to promoting professional development and advancing excellence in our field. Dr. Leslie Kohman founded the organization in 1986. In addition to holding meetings at each STS and AATS meeting, we publish a newsletter and detailed directory. We have an active grant program to sponsor members to attend The John F. Kennedy School of Government health policy course, “Understanding the New World of Health Care” and the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women (ELAM). Our newly formed, Archigia Circle was conceived as a leadership group of women in industry and thoracic surgery for the purpose of developing leadership skills and sharing common experiences. Our first meeting this past October was facilitated and hosted by Ms. Anita Bessler of Baxter. Women in Thoracic Surgery is developing an interactive website at www.wtsnet.net which will include a mentoring discussion group for members, colleagues, residents and medical students. We encourage all who are willing to share their skills and knowledge; to help us develop our talents; and, to assist us in defining career goals to participate as mentors. We hope that the Women in Thoracic Surgery Symposium this month and Supplement to be published later this year in The Annals will serve as testimony to the value of inclusion. Our specialty must not deprive itself of the potential talent, productivity and skill that women surgeons can bring to patient care, teaching and research. Women have been an integral part of the art and science of healing for the past 5500 years. We are indebted to Dr. Nicholas Kouchoukos for having the vision to provide a forum that can serve to invigorate the continued progress and advancement of women committed to careers in thoracic surgery.