Understanding professional disparities in academic anesthesiology: a single-center gender-based survey study

TL;DR

This study explores gender disparities in academic anesthesiology careers, finding that women face barriers to advancement and are more likely to consider leaving their institutions.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into gender-based disparities in academic anesthesiology through a single-center survey and thematic analysis.

Findings

Women are more likely to remain at the assistant professor level and report fewer senior author publications.

Women hold fewer leadership positions and are less likely to receive accelerated promotions.

Themes of career advancement, work culture, and work-life integration emerged as key areas for improvement.

Abstract

Women in academic anesthesiology face numerous structural and cultural barriers that impede academic advancement and threaten career longevity. Understanding the impact of these challenges can allow steps to be taken to improve gender equity and retention in academic anesthesiology.

This study describes a voluntary, anonymous survey distributed to faculty members in the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care at an urban tertiary care academic Health System with a variety of anesthetizing locations across six hospitals. All clinical faculty members in the Department, regardless of gender identity, were invited to participate (n = 209). The 57-question survey, which was administered over a 3-week time period in 2024, examined the relationship between demographic variables and professional factors relating to career progression. Quantitative data were summarized with descriptive statistics to compare responses between both gender and career stage peer groups. Using inductive thematic analysis, the authors analyzed open-ended survey data and developed themes that will be used to develop future improvement initiatives.

The survey response rate was 35% (73/209). Respondents were well-balanced in terms of gender (52.1% women, 45.2% men, 2.7% other) and other demographic groups. Women respondents more often remained at an assistant professor level after 6–10 years of practice (36.4% vs. 0%), reported fewer first or senior author publications if in practice 5 + years (70% vs. 33.3%), and described non-promotable work responsibilities in early- and mid-career time points (85% vs. 67%). Women less often reported receiving an accelerated promotion (33.3% vs. 44.8%); holding departmental (50% vs. 58.6%), institutional (17.9% vs. 35.7%), or national (34.6% vs. 44.8%) leadership positions; and having participated on an editorial board (26.5% vs. 37.9%). More women, particularly in early- and mid-career stages, reported active intent to leave the institution (21.1% vs. 12.1%). Three clear themes emerged from qualitative survey data: 1) Career Advancement, 2) Work Culture, and 3) Work-life Integration.

Differences are reported in traditional metrics of academic career success between men and women in an academic anesthesiology department. The themes identified provide concrete targets for improvement in improving equity between women and men and retention in academic anesthesiology.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-025-03522-z.

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