Canadian Gastroenterology Career Pathway Experiences: Exploring the Gender Divide

Background We aimed to determine the persistence of differential career experiences between male and female gastroenterologists in Canada >20 years after they were first noted in the literature. Methods A 51-question mixed-methods survey was developed focusing on personal, professional and financial characteristics. The survey was disseminated via email and fax to practicing gastroenterologists using provincial college registries and the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. Numerical data were analyzed using the chi-square test. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted for short answer responses. Findings There were a total of 114 responses (17% response rate) with 35% female respondents. Mean age was 49 years for males and 41 years for females (P = 0.001). Clinical practice types included general GI (63%), urban (82%) and academic (51%). Males reported more endoscopy time (P = 0.001) versus females who spent more time on research (P < 0.001). Men were more likely to be married (P = 0.011), but women were more likely to be responsible for childcare (P = 0.016). Women were more likely to choose between marriage and career and more chose marriage compared to men (P = 0.045). Males earned >$100,000/year higher income than females even when offset by age and work hours (P = 0.048). A salary >$600,000 was reported by 32% of men, compared to 3% of women. Female gastroenterologists reported less mentorship during GI training, challenging relationships with support staff, reduced promotion opportunity, more difficulty publishing and having their competency challenged. Interpretation Compared to previous data, there has not been significant gender-related progress in the past two decades regarding female gastroenterologists' clinical practices, remuneration and work-life balance.