Gender Differences of Endowed Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments at Top Academic Institutions [A72]

• Published in: Obstetrics and gynecology (New York. 1953) Vol. 139; no. 1; pp. 21 - 22S
• Main Authors: Russell, Colin B., Burns, Courtney, Griffith, Kent, Johnson, Timothy R., Jagsi, Reshma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.05.2022
• DOI: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000826616.91649.ed
• ISSN: 0029-7844

INTRODUCTION: Barriers to gender equality permeate academic medicine. A recent study demonstrated that women are less likely to hold endowed professorships in internal medicine from top schools. Given the resources and prestige that accompany endowed professorships, this designation can gauge diversity within medicine’s leaders. We assessed endowed professorships within obstetrics and gynecology departments at leading American medical schools. METHODS: Obstetrics and gynecology faculty lists were obtained from the top 25 academic institutions, as determined by 2020 National Institutes of Health (NIH) ranking. Data on faculty position, endowed professorship/chair, gender, graduate degrees held, graduation year, publication and citation numbers, H-index, and NIH funding as a principal investigator were collected from departments or publicly available sources (e.g., institutional websites, Scopus [Elsevier], NIH Reporter). Multivariable regression models were constructed to explain holding endowed professorships. RESULTS: Of the 680 total professors, 400 (58.8%) were women and 280 (41.2%) were men. From these groups, 64 (49.2%) women and 66 (50.8%) men held endowed professorships. On multivariable analysis, there were no significant differences between men and women in attainment of endowed professorships ( P =.83). Faculty with non-MD doctorates ( P =.006) and rank of associate professor ( P <.001) were less likely to have endowed chairs. Those in the top two quartiles of number of publications ( P <.001) and in the highest funding quartile ( P =.004) were more likely to have endowed professorships. Endowed professorships were not significantly related to decade of graduation ( P =.86). CONCLUSION: Despite previous findings of gender inequity among endowed professorships from internal medicine departments, obstetrics and gynecology departments at leading institutions show no significant role of gender at the level of endowed chairs.