Reducing Implicit Bias: Association of Women Surgeons #HeForShe Taskforce Best Practice Recommendations

Abstract

It is imperative to identify and act on potential barriers to the equitable treatment of women, and racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities within our professional surgical community. This includes the identification and counteraction of implicit biases, which are unconscious beliefs and attitudes that often drive our behaviors and decision-making, and eventually determine the climate of relative opportunity and challenge for those who are underrepresented within our field. Increasing diversity in universities, medical schools, residencies, and surgical departments will ultimately heighten the quality of our care, deepen our connection with patients, and further our achievements as surgeons and leaders in medicine and society. A tradition of excellence in surgery includes a rigorous pursuit of intellectual development and the questioning of implicit dogma, and for this reason we must actively work to eradicate unconscious biases that compromise the integrity of this pursuit. We recommend the following steps with an aim towards this goal: Commit to a Culture Shift Introduce Bias Literacy Provide Counter-Stereotypic Exposure Conduct an Introspective Departmental Assessment Implement Deliberative Processing Strategies for Hiring and Promotion Encourage Mentoring and Sponsorship Empower the individual