SP 4.06 Gender Disparities in General Surgical Training in the United Kingdom: A Nationwide Study
Annalise Katz-Summercorn, Agata Czech, Hemel Modi, Steven WoodingAbstract
Aims
Studies from the United States have demonstrated that female surgical trainees perform fewer operations than their male counterparts and with less independence. However, such gender disparities have not been widely investigated in the United Kingdom. The aim of this nationwide study is to investigate the effect of gender on training opportunities across the United Kingdom.
Methods
Following approval from the Joint Committee on Surgical Training (JCST), anonymised demographic and raw elogbook data for all general surgical trainees in the United Kingdom (ST3-ST8) registered between 2015 and 2023 were extracted. Data was analysed using generalised linear models to compare index procedure operative caseload between genders.
Results
Data from 2604 trainees were included in this study, of which 40.3% were female. Female trainees early in their training (ST3-6) ‘performed’ (under any level of supervision) 5% fewer index procedures than their male counterparts (p<0.05). This trend was more pronounced among more senior trainees (ST7-8) where female trainees performed 13% fewer index operations than male trainees (P<0.05). Furthermore, female trainees ‘assisted’ in 9% more operations than male trainees.
Conclusions
Female trainees in the UK have less operative exposure than their male counterparts with respect to performing index procedures. Recognition of this gender disparity is crucial for training bodies to ensure equity of training.