While women have historically been underrepresented in the field of radiology, a new analysis focused on female representation at academic and society conferences revealed that the trend is not exclusive to employment.
Experts concluded this after assessing female attendance, speaking roles and chair positions at UK-based radiology meetings put on by major radiological associations and societies for the entire year of 2021. They found female representation to be lacking at these organized events, particularly in the realm of subspecialties.
Corresponding author of the new paper, P. Jenkins, of the Department of Interventional Radiology at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and co-authors noted although female representation is not just an issue in radiology, it is a more prominent one in the field. They explained the value of female presence at academic and society conferences recently in Clinical Radiology:
The importance of role models and visible clinical leaders is well known in developing and promoting gender equality. Presenting at conferences is important for shaping clinical practice, personal academic career advancement, and providing positive role models for aspiring audience members.”
According to the authors’ data, female represented 105 of 298 sessional chairs at the 2021 U.K conferences, while 212 of 639 speakers were women. For the subspecialties of interventional radiology, uro-radiology and nuclear medicine, female speakers outnumbered female consultants with specialist interest.
Positive trends were observed for online conferences though, with females representing 43.2% of speakers and 48.7% of chairs.
The authors noted that while these figures are trending upward and represent an improvement in representation, there is still work to be done, especially for female presence in subspecialties.
“Research has shown that increased diversity helps to avoid groupthink, promotes innovation, and encourages adaptability. Improving the platform whereby women can share perspectives publicly is likely to be of benefit to the wider medical community,” they concluded.
The study abstract can be viewed here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She joined Innovate Healthcare in 2021 and has since put her unique expertise to use in her editorial role with Health Imaging.