Browsing by Author "Donington, Jessica S."

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    2020 Women in Thoracic Surgery update on the status of women in cardiothoracic surgery
    (Elsevier, 2020) Ceppa, DuyKhanh P.; Antonoff, Mara B.; Tong, Betty C.; Timsina, Lava; Ikonomidis, John S.; Worrell, Stephanie G.; Stephens, Elizabeth H.; Gillaspie, Erin A.; Schumacher, Lana; Molena, Daniela; Kane, Lauren C.; Blackmon, Shanda; Donington, Jessica S.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) has previously reported on the status of women in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. We sought to provide a 10-year update on women in CT. Methods An anonymous REDCap survey link was emailed to female diplomats of the ABTS. Survey questions queried respondents regarding demographics, training, accolades, practice details, and career satisfaction. The survey link was open for 30 days. Results were compared to the 2019 Society of Thoracic Surgeons work force survey. Descriptive analyses were performed using frequency and proportions. Comparisons were performed using Student’s t-tests, Fisher exact and chi-squared tests. Results Of 354 female diplomats, 309 were contacted and 176 (57%) responded. The majority of respondents were age 36-50 (59%), Caucasian (67.4%), and graduated from traditional-track programs (91.4%). Most respondents reported practicing in an urban (64%) and academic setting (73.1%). 36.4% and 23.9% reported a general thoracic and adult cardiac practice (22.7% mixed practice, 9.6% congenital). Fifty percent of respondents reported salaries between $400,000-700,000 annually; 37.7% reported salaries <90% of their male colleagues. 21.6% of respondents in academia are full professor; 53.4% report having a leadership role. While 74.1% would pursue a career in CT again, only 27.3% agreed that CT surgery is a healthy and positive environment for women. Conclusions The number of women in CT surgery has steadily increased. While women are rising in academic rank and into leadership positions, salary disparities and the CT surgery work environment remain important issues in achieving a diverse work force.
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    STS 2019 Workforce Report: Ad Hoc Analysis of Women in Cardiothoracic Surgery
    (Elsevier, 2021-02) Ceppa, DuyKhanh P.; Ikonomidis, John S.; Timsina, Lava R.; Boden, Natalie; Kane, Lauren C.; Donington, Jessica S.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is the world’s largest cardiothoracic surgical organization, representing more than 7500 surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide. In response to the ever-changing working environment of cardiothoracic surgery, STS conducts a workforce survey approximately every 5 years. The 2019 Practice Survey was performed in the fall of 2019, the results of which were discussed at the STS 2020 annual meeting and were published by Ikonomidis and associates. 1 Because women remain an extremely small subset of the cardiothoracic workforce, Women in Thoracic Surgery, in conjunction with STS, reviewed the 2019 workforce survey results with a focus on female respondents.
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    Women in Thoracic Surgery 2020 Update—Subspecialty and Work-Life Balance Analysis
    (ScienceDirect, 2022) Giuliano, Katherine; Ceppa, DuyKhanh P.; Antonoff, Mara; Donington, Jessica S.; Kane, Lauren; Lawton, Jennifer S.; Gottlieb Sen, Danielle; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background While women comprise nearly half of medical school graduates, they remain underrepresented in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. To better understand ongoing barriers, we aimed to delineate issues relevant to the CT subspecialities, emphasizing personal life. Methods An anonymous REDCap survey link was emailed to female diplomats of the American Board of Thoracic Surgeons (ABTS). The survey included questions on demographics, professional accolades, practice details, and personal life. Survey responses were compared across subspecialities using chi-squared testing. Results Of 354 female ABTS diplomats, we contacted 309, and 176 (57%) completed the survey. By subspecialty, 42% practice thoracic, 26% adult cardiac, and 10% congenital cardiac; 19% report a mixed practice. The subspecialties differed in length of training (congenital the longest), practice location (mixed practice less urban), and academic rank (thoracic most full professors at 17%), but were largely similar in their personal lives. Among all respondents, 65% are in a committed relationship, but 40% felt that being a CT surgeon negatively impacted their ability to find a partner. 60% have children, but 31% of those with children reported using assisted reproductive technology, surrogacy, or adoption. The number with leadership roles (e.g. division chief, committee chair of national organization) did not differ among subspecialities, but was low, ranging from 0 to <30%. Conclusions Women remain underrepresented in CT surgery, particularly in the academic rank of full professor and in leadership positions. We advocate for scholarship and mentorship opportunities to encourage women to enter the field, increased female leadership, and policies to enable families.