Jennifer A. Villwock, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, said that increased visibility of women in leadership positions makes the path to otolaryngology and leadership more accessible to young students and trainees who are seeking mentors and role models. It also helps programming at meetings to be more inclusive in terms of speakers and panels.
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April 2023“While many women who are more junior in their careers understandably seek female mentorship, there is a dearth of female leaders in our specialty,” Dr. Crosby said. “With this, it is incumbent upon not only senior women to serve as mentors and sponsors, but also for men to become familiar with the challenges specifically faced by women to serve in these roles as well.”
The Impact of Having Children
When women are being considered for leadership roles, several factors are taken into account, including a combination of clinical and research productivity.
Women in medicine often delay having children during medical school and residency and may choose to begin families early in their careers, Dr. Crosby continued. This choice results in female junior faculty being more likely to have extended time off for maternity leave, which can impact their pay and productivity, both clinically and academically.
This situation undoubtedly leads to a differential in both leadership roles and pay. Beyond the tangible impact of women taking time off for maternity leave and childcare, Dr. Crosby has heard countless times that while a certain woman might be qualified for a position, “‘She probably won’t be interested because she’s busy with her family,’” she said. “It’s frustrating that others continue to make this choice for women rather than having an open discussion with them. This phenomenon has been coined ‘the mommy track,’ and leadership needs to be careful to avoid this type of cognitive bias.”
Leveling the Playing Field
So how can the otolaryngology field close the wage gap? “As a field, we need to be committed to the goal of achieving pay equity,” Dr. Grandis said. “We need to engage both institutional and academic leaders, as well as the vast number of otolaryngologists who don’t work in university settings such as private practice and managed care. We need to routinely collect data to see how we’re faring.”
It’s critical that both men and women in leadership roles continue to identify talented young women to enter the field of otolaryngology and help them develop their careers, Dr. Crosby said. “While it’s important for women in leadership roles to take a vested interest, male counterparts need to recognize the gender tax that this creates, in which women spend a disproportionate amount of time mentoring other women,” she said.