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The Female Question: Should more be done to increase the ranks of female otolaryngologists?

by Gretchen Henkel •

Dr. Brodsky pointed out that more publications addressing women surgeons’ issues have been published in the ACS journal, and specifically noted a recent survey, “Career Satisfaction of Women in Surgery: Perceptions, Factors, and Strategies” (J Am Coll Surg. 2010;210(1):23-28). In partnership with the Association of Women Surgeons, the ACS also funded a 2009 study, “Women Surgeons in the New Millennium,” (Arch Surg. 2009;144(7):635-42) that suggested optimizing maternity leave and child care opportunities as strategies for including more women in surgical specialties.

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Read the previous article in this series, Fill the Gap: Strategies for addressing the otolaryngology workforce shortage.

Balancing a work and family schedule was one attraction for Dr. Ponsky’s career direction. She is one of two female otolaryngologists who have part-time positions in the department at Case Medical Center.

“Because we have all these subspecialties under the general otolaryngology ‘umbrella,’ this enables people to make a variety of career choices—and is a very good field for females seeking a healthy balance of career and family,” Dr. Ponsky added. ENTtoday

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