L. F. Morris-Wiseman1, C. Canez1, M. A. Romero Arenas2, C. Hsu1, V. N. Nfonsam1 1University Of Arizona,Department Of Surgery,Tucson, AZ, USA 2University of Texas Rio Grande Valley,Department Of Surgery,Harlingen, TX, USA
Introduction: Non-White and female surgeons are underrepresented in academic surgery faculty, with lowest representation at the highest academic ranks or positions. We hypothesized that leadership of major US general surgery societies over the last decade reflected these same disparities. We aimed to determine whether there is an association between attending a prestigious medical school or residency program and surgeons attaining national societal leadership positions.
Methods: Race (using personal knowledge or publicly available information) and visible (binary) gender of the 2020-21 executive council members of 11 major general surgery societies and the presidents of these societies 2012-2021 was assessed. Top 10 and Top 20 medical school and surgery residency programs were identified using public ranking programs. International medical graduates (IMGs) were excluded from the “Top programs” analysis. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare groups and Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to assess change over time.
Results: Surgical society executive council members in 2020-21 (n=77) were predominantly White (74%, n=57) and male (67.5%, n=52). The 20 non-White council members were Asian (80%), Black (10%), and Latino (10%). Nine (11.7%) executive leaders were IMGs; five were White (55.6%). Many 2020-21 executive leaders (41%, n = 28) attended Top 10 and majority (58.8%, n=40) attended a Top 20 medical school/residency. When evaluated by race and gender, 30% of White men, 43.5% of women, and 66.7% of non-White men in executive leadership roles attended Top 10 schools/residency. In the last decade, surgical society presidents (n=105) have been mostly White (85.7%, n=90) and male (78.1%, n=82). Non-White male surgical society presidents have been Asian (39%, n=9), Black (23.1%, n=3), and Latino (7.7%, n=1). Of the 23 female surgery society presidents, 91.3% have been White, 8.7% Asian, and none Black or Latina. Eleven society presidents were IMGs (10.5%); most were White (80%). Society presidents attended Top 10 (36.2%) or Top 20 (56.4%) schools/residency. Fewer White male society presidents attended Top schools/programs compared to non-White male presidents (Top 10: 32.3% vs. 60%; p=0.15; and Top 20: 56.5% vs 80%; p=0.3). There has been no significant change over the last decade in society presidents in terms of race or gender.
Conclusion: Women, non-White surgeons, and IMGs are underrepresented in US surgical society leadership. Most IMGs in societal leadership are White. Nearly 60% of societal leaders in the last 10 years attended a Top 20 medical school or residency program. While not statistically significant, a higher percentage of non-White men in leadership attended a prestigious school/residency program compared to White men. These data suggest that increasing racial diversity in US surgical societies may require mentorship and sponsorship particularly for surgeons who did not attend prestigious medical schools or residency programs.