Evaluation of Progress Toward Gender Equity Among Departmental Chairs in Academic Medicine

Although the gender gap in medical school matriculation has closed, 1 the representation of women in leadership roles in academic medicine has been reported to be low, particularly among departmental chairs. 2 This study evaluates the extent of progress in female representation among program directors (PDs), chairs, and deans to provide a valuable benchmark by which to evaluate future progress.Methods | We obtained data on the gender of chairs, deans, and academic faculty from the Association of American Medical Colleges database 3 from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019, for a cross-sectional study.We also obtained data from 2019 on the gender of academic faculty 3 and chairs 3 in 14 of the largest medical specialties.Data on residents and PDs were obtained from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; however, the gender of PDs was assigned by name and corresponding online photographs.Our study met Ohio State University Institutional Review Board policy for exemption.The study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline.Statistical analysis was performed using a 2-tailed, 2-sample proportion test and determined statistical significance as a 2-sided P < .05.