“The lack of women advancing in academia isn’t unique to otolaryngology, but it is a societal issue. Women are less likely to advance to leadership positions and continue to experience salary inequity for the positions they hold,” said Dr. Yaremchuk.
Explore This Issue
January 2023Gender-related barriers are multifactorial, agreed Dr. Nathan. However, “now that the issue has been brought to the forefront, we are making progress. I am honored to work with our male colleagues who are supportive and making a conscious effort to address the issue,” she said.
There’s no question that women have made gains in academia, said Dr. Garrett. For example, Dr. Bradford was appointed dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus in 2020. “I’m the only full professor in our department, however,” Dr. Garrett noted. “The irony is that I’m actually the chair of the Vanderbilt Promotions Committee for faculty affairs. I see how many women are coming through for all levels of promotion, and it’s close to 50/50 males to females. So, we have women in our department who are clearly going to move up the [leadership] ranks.”
“If you look at the number of women who are elected to the Triological Society, it actually mirrors that number. I think the Triological Society is doing a really good job of attracting diverse members, and women certainly are part of that diverse membership,” Dr. Garrett added.
Dr. Sie agrees that the landscape is changing for women in otolaryngology. The changes associated with gender equity will likely help all otolaryngologists. For example, it’s now more acceptable for men to take paternity leave when they have children.
The Appeal of Otolaryngology for Female Surgeons
When asked what drew her to otolaryngology, Dr. Yaremchuk answered, “When I was a medical student, the resident on the rotation was going into ophthalmology and suggested I look into otolaryngology. We both enjoyed surgery and I knew what rotations I didn’t enjoy. I’ve never had the opportunity to thank him for the advice and tell him how right he was.”
“My first interest in medicine was general surgery,” said Dr. Sie. “During my residency at the University of North Carolina, Amelia F. Drake, MD (the Newton D. Fischer Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of North Carolina), took me aside and told me about otolaryngology. In 1990, I began my residency training in otolaryngology in Seattle. I fell in love with pediatric otolaryngology. Through my research in velopharyngeal insufficiency, I began to get some visibility regionally, and then nationally,” she said.