How can men be good allies for women in surgery? #HeForShe

Abstract

Men have long been the dominant force in surgery, particularly in cardiothoracic surgery, and this has resulted in a tradition of a masculine culture that is not receptive to women. As a result, cardiothoracic surgery fails to recruit talented female surgeons, and with now over 50% of medical students being women, this means that cardiothoracic surgery potentially loses half of the physician talent pool. When women pursue a career in surgery, they face innumerable challenges and barriers, ranging from outright sexual harassment to daily microaggressions that demonstrate gender biases about perceived competence, work ethic, commitment, and professional ability. Women frequently suffer from unequal opportunities in clinical, academic, or leadership roles, and this can be further represented by disparities in compensation and time to academic promotion. Men have an outsized role in helping to provide a professional environment in surgery that is attractive and welcoming to women, and in supporting a culture that empowers equal opportunity for career success and advancement to both men and women. This important role of men is particularly true in cardiothoracic surgery since over 90% of the workforce are male. First and foremost, men can be critical allies to their female colleagues by actively supporting and promoting the women they work beside every day. Men are also important mentors for women, providing a safe space for frank conversations and career advice, with the sincere best interests of the female colleague at heart. Finally, men are important sponsors for women colleagues as well, talking about them, promoting them, and helping launch them into committee or leadership positions, while opening doors for clinical or academic advancement. The advantage of this work to men is the development of rewarding and lifelong relationships with female colleagues, and the benefit of their own reciprocal mentorship and allyship. Men have as much to gain as women from a modernization of our specialty and mitigation of gender disparities that undermine equal opportunity for career advancement. Men should not stand on the sidelines, and should be engaged and proactive as they work with women for gender equality in surgery. #HeForShe