3070 - Comparison of Perceptions of Barriers to Advancement for Women in Radiation Oncology among Different Practice Settings

Purpose/Objective(s):

Although similar numbers of men and women are enrolled in medical school, radiation oncology (RO) remains one of the specialties with significantly disproportionate gender representation. According to the ASTRO demographic report, only 29% of its members are female. This underscores the need to investigate the "leaky pipeline" contributing to gender inequity and disparity in career advancement among female medical students and physicians in RO.

Materials/Methods:

An anonymous survey was distributed to members of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) via email and social media between February and May 2023. In addition to demographic data (age, gender, race, practice setting), respondents were asked to assess their perceptions of gender-related barriers in career advancement in the following domains: (a) equal access, (b) work-life balance, (c) gender bias, and (d) leadership support. Respondents were asked to rate each statements using a validated 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Statistical analyses were conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test and post-hoc analysis (Dunn’s test) in R.

Results:

After screening, a total of 175 complete, non-duplicate responses that met the answer requirements were collected. Respondents are 77.7% female and 81.1% aged 30s or 40s. For practice settings, 37.7% were employed in private practice, 29.1% in academic hospitals, and 33.1% in others (such as community settings or satellite academic centers).

Perceptions across different practice settings were largely similar, with no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in the ratings of 39 out of 45 statements. However, significant differences in rating were observed in the domains of work-life balance and gender bias. Respondents in private practice reported more negative perceptions compared to those in academic and community settings in 3 specific statements. For instance, 33.3% of private practice respondents strongly agreed that the expectation of a minimum 60-hour workweek poses an obstacle for full-time female physicians, whereas only 17.7% (p < 0.01) of academic and 17.2% (p < 0.05) of community-based respondents strongly agreed with this statement.

Conclusion:

In this survey, we were encouraged to find overall positive perceptions regarding the career advancement of female physicians. While perceptions were generally consistent across different practice settings, significant differences were observed in the domains of work-life balance and gender bias. Further studies and follow-up investigations will be valuable in gaining deeper insights and advancing gender equity in radiation oncology.