The Beginning of the End

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between gender, research productivity, academic rank, and departmental leadership positions of pathology faculty in North America.

Methods: The online information presented for the faculty members in all American- and Canadian-accredited pathology residency programs' official websites and Elsevier's SCOPUS were queried to assess research productivity, academic ranks, and leadership positions.

Results: Among 5,228 academic pathologists included in our study, there were 3,122 (59.7%) males and 2,106 (40.3%) females. Male faculty held higher academic ranks (being professor) and leadership positions (chair/program director) (P < .0001). Males were more likely to hold combined MD-PhD degrees (P < .0001) than females. The median h-index for the male faculty was 17 vs 9 for the female faculty (P = .023).

Conclusions: Gender has a significant influence on leadership positions, academic ranks, and research productivity among pathology faculty members in North America.

Keywords: Academic; Disparity; Faculty; Gender; Leadership; Pathology; Women.