A New Decade for Diversity: Trends in Representation of Women at the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons

Abstract

Background: In 2018, the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons first Women in Plastic Surgery was established, reflecting the national trend to address the gender gap between men and women in surgery. Conferences, such as the annual NESPS, are important opportunities to increase visibility of female role models and resources to address deterrents to surgical careers. We thus sought to examine the participation and visibility of women in the NESPS over the last decade.

Methods: Abstracts and programs from the NESPS regional conferences between 2013 and 2019 were accessed via the publicly available past meetings archives, and registration lists were provided by the NESPS. Registrants, panelists, speakers, moderators, and first author and senior author listed for each poster presentation, podium presentation was listed, sex was determined (male or female), and sex were aggregated by category of participation. Significance was set at a P value of less than 0.05.

Results: Registration of women for the NESPS annual conferences was constant for 5 years (2013-2017), followed by an increase in female registrants from 27.1% in 2017 to 42.3% in 2019. Female representation among poster and podium presentations also increased from 2017 to 2019 (7.7%-23.3% poster presentations and 11.1%-23.4% podium presentations). Invited positions (speakers, panelists, and moderators) had a peak of 32.2% in 2017, but otherwise, there is no clear evidence of improved representation of women.

Conclusions: We found an increase in the proportion of female registrants at the annual NESPS conferences from 2013 to 2019. However, visibility of female participants fluctuated over the same period; addressing this represents one opportunity for closing the gender gap at the NESPS. As the percentage of female trainees continues to rise, we look to female faculty to continue to participate in educational events, such as the NESPS meeting, and to be present as role models for the growing new generation of female plastic surgeons.