Evaluating implicit gender bias at Canadian otolaryngology meetings through use of professional title

ObjectivesIncreasing numbers of women enter medical school annually. The number of female physicians in leadership positions has been much slower to equalize. There are also well-documented differences in the treatment of women as compared to men in professional settings. Female presenters are less likely to be introduced by their professional title ("Doctor") for grand rounds and conferences, especially with a man performing the introduction. This study reviewed the Canadian Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (CSOHNS) meetings from 2017 to 2020 to determine the proportion of presenters introduced by their professional title and whether this varied by gender.MethodsRecordings from CSOHNS meetings were reviewed and coded for introducer and presenter demographics, including leadership positions and gender. Chi-squared tests of proportion and multivariate logistic regression was used to compare genders and identify factors associated with professional versus unprofessional forms of address.ResultsNo significant association was found between professional title use and introducer or presenter gender. Female presenters were introduced with professional title 69.6% of the time, while male presenters were introduced with professional title 67.6% of the time (P = 0.69). Residents were introduced with a professional title with the most frequency (75.8%), while attending staff were introduced with a professional title with the least frequency (63.0%) (P = 0.02).ConclusionsThe lack of gender bias in speaker introductions at recent CSOHNS meetings demonstrates progress in achieving gender equity in medicine. Research efforts should continue to define additional forms of unconscious bias that may be contributing to gender inequity in leadership positions. Significant findings of the study: Significant gender bias in the use of professional titles does not appear to exist at Canadian national meetings. However certain groups still are referred to by their professional title more frequently than others, which may contribute to inequity. What this study adds: Differential use of professional title by gender has been examined in other specialties, but this is the first examination in otolaryngology. There are few specialties without gender differences in professional title use, and otolaryngology can be added to their number.