Addressing the Emotional Exhaustion of Gender Inequity in Otolaryngology

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM EDT

Location: MBCC, 214-215

CME/MOC Credit: 1

Disclosure(s):

Tiffany A. Glazer, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Brittny N. Tillman, MD, FACS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Stacey T. Gray, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Dana L. Crosby, MD, MPH:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Although women now comprise more than half of incoming US medical students, the field of otolaryngology continues to struggle to attract and retain women. Women have the knowledge base and “grit” required of otolaryngology, so why aren’t more of them choosing it?

While gender equity within otolaryngology is improving, significant challenges remain, and we must understand these challenges to change the culture. Bias, discrimination, macro/microaggressions, and harassment disproportionately affect female surgeons. Women are more likely to experience imposter syndrome and a confidence gap. Lack of diversity within leadership positions makes promotion more challenging. Women often suffer from inequitable negotiations, with otolaryngology having one of the highest gender pay gaps in medicine. Finally, when considering the demands of family life, 83% of female otolaryngologists feel it is “somewhat to very difficult” to manage work-life balance. All these issues lead to significantly higher levels of emotional exhaustion and burnout in female surgeons than male surgeons. A high level of burnout is associated with a high likelihood to leave academic medicine within 1-2 years. As such, the cycle will continue without intervention.

As burnout becomes a pervasive problem in medicine, identifying the stressors and risk factors that lead to it is essential for mitigation. This panel will discuss the above challenges, list strategies to address the challenges, and give examples of successfully-implemented recommendations. Although we will focus on issues facing women, the concepts discussed in this panel can be extrapolated to improve culture & climate and prevent burnout for all populations within our field.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the culture and climate barriers that female otolaryngologists encounter. Understand there is intersectionality to these barriers for other underrepresented minorities within our field.
Implement ways to create an equitable practice environment for female otolaryngologists, keeping in mind the multifactorial barriers they may face.
Strategize ways to increase the number of women down the otolaryngology pipeline, including recruiting, retaining, and promoting women particularly within academic appointments.

Moderator(s)

Tiffany A. Glazer, MD

Program Director
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Panelist(s)

Brittny N. Tillman, MD, FACS

Associate Professor, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Stacey T. Gray, MD

Associate Professor
Harvard Medical School/Mass Eye and Ear
Boston, MA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Dana L. Crosby, MD, MPH

Chair, Residency Program Director, and Professor
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Springfield, IL, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.