Female trainees made up only 26% of U.S. radiology residents over past 12 years
Medical schools in the United States and Canada have done well to enroll an even number of men and women but this parity has not trickled down to radiology residency programs, according to a review published Monday.
In fact, over the past decade-plus U.S radiology programs experienced no significant change in the proportion of female residents, researchers reported in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology. The highest makeup of women in radiology roles occurred in 2014-2015, reaching 28%.
“Our study shows that the current trend of increasing female representation in other traditionally male-dominated areas of medicine such as plastic surgery, otolaryngology, and general surgery over the last two decades does not exist for radiology,” co-author Mary C. Mahoney, MD, with the University of Cincinnati’s Department of Radiology, and colleagues explained March 8.
For their study, the researchers retrospectively analyzed U.S. resident data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education along with information in the Canadian Post M.D. Education Registry spanning 2007-2019.
Over those 12 years, there’s been little progress in bridging the gender gap, Mahoney et al. noted. Female residents have consistently accounted for an average of 26.74% of all radiology trainees in the U.S., falling to their lowest mark of 26% in 2007-2008. Furthermore, that average changed by 0% per year for U.S. programs.
For our neighbors to the north, female trainees pursuing radiology accounted for 31.78% of all residents, on average. And the average change in the percentage of female residents was -2.9% over the 12-year period.
The road ahead
In 2020, the American Association of Medical Colleges issued a call-to-action for leaders to help reverse the specialty’s gender disparity problem.
Presenting radiology as an attractive career option, the authors noted, is key and will help increase the pool of applicants and, subsequently, radiology’s range of skills, perspectives and leaders.
And commitment from the top is vital, with some experts recommending stakeholders review policies, mandate enhanced trainee diversity, and offer early radiology exposure and mentorship to students.
“In conclusion, more studies are needed to identify female medical students’ awareness and perception of radiology as a viable career option,” they wrote.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.