Association of Pathology Chairs Annual Meeting

1
Association of Pathology Chairs Annual Meeting

• Barbara Atkinson, MD
• Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean, University of
  Kansas Medical Center

2
Advancing Women in Pathology

• Build from previous presentations
• Dr. Mary Lipscomb, Women in Pathology Where do
  we stand?
• Dr. Virginia Valian, Why so slow The
  advancement of women
• Perspectives on What we can do
• Nationally
• Institutionally
• Individually
• Personally

3
Representation of Women inAcademic Medicine in
US, 1977-2003
48
30
4
U.S. Medical Faculty distribution by gender and
rank
Source AAMC Faculty Roster, May 2004
5
Data Snapshot in US in 2003/04, Women Represented
51 of all applicants to medical school 50 of
first year students 48 of all medical
students 46 of graduates of medical schools 41
of all residents 30 of all faculty 26 of all
Associate Professors 14 of all Full
Professors 10 of all Department Chairs 10 of
all Medical School Deans
6
(No Transcript)
7
Number of Women Department Chairs in 2001

• Pediatrics 16 Chairs
• Family Medicine 11 Chairs
• Ob/Gyn 12 Chairs
• Pathology 12 Chairs
• Surgery 2 Chairs
• Only 214 women chairs in all disciplines an
  average of 1.7 per medical school
• At least 20 of 125 medical schools had no female
  chair

8
Pathology Under or Over Supply

• Focus in pathology (as with other physician
  specialties) has been on over supply
• Debate on this outlined in Human Pathology
  article by Alexander, MD in 2001 (and associated
  commentary by Sobonya and Weinstein)
• No discussion of trends among pathologists
  regarding rates of men vs women
• Need more research to better understand supply
  issues as they relate to gender will impact
  recommendations for the specialty

9
Riska (2001). Medical Careers and Feminist
Agendas American, Scandinavian, and Russian
Women Physicians. Hawthorne, NY.
10
Why is the US so slow in recruiting women
compared to other countries?

• Differences in social priorities
• Difference in child care, health care, pension
  systems that ensure women have equal
  opportunities to men
• Differences in physician salaries between
  genders
• Premature conclusion that gender equity has been
  achieved leadership not achieved
• Concern that as profession becomes more
  feminized, professionals are paid less
• Need to continue to survey physicians salaries to
  get to gender equity

11
WIM Increasing Womens Leadership

• AAMC WIM Project Committee examined issues
  regarding the number of women selected for
  leadership positions in academic medicine based
  upon
• (1) the current availability of talented women
  faculty and
• (2) our need for achieving gender
  balance.
• Clear recommendations for What we need to do at
  an institutional level

http//www.aamc.org/members/wim/ The Committee's
FINAL REPORT was approved by AAMC Executive
Council on 2/28/02 (Acad Med 20027710 43-61).
12
What can we do institutionally Recommendation 1

• Emphasize faculty diversity in departmental
  reviews, evaluating department chairs on their
  development of women faculty
• Focus on number of women recruited, promoted and
  retained
• Measure (and increase) number of women division
  chiefs
• Track and investigate EEOC complaints
• Evaluate and reward department chairs for faculty
  diversity

13
What can we do institutionally Recommendation 2

• Target career development needs of women faculty
• Compare costs of faculty development with costs
  of faculty turnover
• Measure and analyze number of valued faculty
  leaving
• Measure (and increase) number of mentoring
  programs and matched pair programs
• Measure (and improve) faculty satisfaction and
  morale as assessed by climate survey

14
What can we do institutionally Recommendation 3

• Assess which institutional practices tend to
  favor men over womens professional development
• Measure (and increase) number of women on
  powerful committees
• Ensure availability of flexible benefits, PT
  track, family leave, tenure clock stopping
• Identify and implement suggestions to ensure
  equal participation of women and men on
  committees and in organizations
• Expand definition of scholarship at schools and
  scientific organizations

15
What can we do institutionally Recommendation 4

• Improve search committees and nominating process
• Measure (and increase) number of committees with
  less than 25 women
• Appoint diverse committees and educate search
  committees on opportunities and challenges of
  recruiting women
• Create a database of qualified women to nominate
  for visiting professorships and other appointments

16
What can we do institutionally Recommendation 5

• Strengthen women in medicine program
• Only 13 of medical schools have a formal women
  faculty organization an additional 31 have an
  informal one Create one
• At over half of US medical schools, no locus
  exists for activities supporting womens
  professional development
• Conduct a salary equity study and faculty morale
  survey
• Monitor national standings on the numerous gender
  related indicators

17
AMA Women Physicians Congress

• Women Physicians Congress (WPC) focuses on
  addressing women's health and professional
  issues, increasing the number of women physicians
  in leadership roles and strengthening the voice
  of women in organized medicine.
• Membership open to all AMA members who are women
  physicians, women medical students and any
  physicians interested in women's issues.
• Physicians and students who are not AMA members
  can join the WPC on a limited basis.
• http//www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/172.html

18
What can we as individuals?

• Dont pretend the issue doesnt exist
• Watch for opportunities to increase diversity
• Recognize financial inequities and work to
  correct
• Act as a mentor to faculty members
• Speak to search firms when contacted and give
  appropriate names
• Nominate women for leadership courses, ELAM,
  AAMC, SELAM, etc.

19
What can we as individuals?

• Think about the cultural differences between
  men and women and whether your institution is
  provides a fair, even, and welcoming environment
  for women
• Support women in quest to make appropriate
  institutional changes
• Remind others if you notice inequities
• Remember that leadership comes with
  responsibility to select and nurture the best
  talent

20
What can we do personally?

• Join groups of interest to you
• Participate in committees, particularly those
  associated with finances
• Be the project leader
• Do your best work every time
• Know when to say no
• Find a mentor who can really help
• Be tenacious, because some days it seems as if
  theres still a long way to go.