Factors Associated With the Professional Success of Female Surgical Department Chairs A Qualitative Study

This quality improvement study examines the common factors associated with the success of women serving as surgical department chairs. Question Are there common characteristics among female surgical chairs that are associated with their professional success? Findings In this qualitative study including 20 female surgical chairs, strong leadership personality traits combined with adaptability enabled this minority to reach the highest strata of achievement in academic surgery despite challenging external factors. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that future attention toward encouraging intrinsic strengths, fostering environments that bolster career development, emphasizing adaptability, and work-system redesign may support increasing diversity in surgical leadership roles. Importance Only 7% of US surgical department chairs are occupied by women. While the proportion of women in the surgical workforce continues to increase, women remain significantly underrepresented across leadership roles within surgery. Objective To identify commonality among female surgical chairs with attention toward moderators that appear to have contributed to their professional success. Design, Setting, and Participants A grounded theory qualitative study was conducted in academic surgical departments within the US. Participants included current and emeritus female chairs of American academic surgical departments. The study was conducted between December 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019. An eligible cohort of 26 women was identified. Interventions and Exposures Participants completed semistructured telephone interviews conducted with an interview guide. Main Outcomes and Measures Common themes associated with career success. Results Of the eligible cohort of 26 women, 20 individuals (77%) participated. Sixteen participants were serving as active department chairs and 4 were former department chairs. Mean (SD) length of time served in the chair position, either active or former, was calculated at 5.6 (2.6) years. Two major themes were identified. First, internal factors emerged prominently. Personality traits, including confidence, resilience, and selflessness, were shared among participants. Adaptability was described as a major facilitator to career success. Second, participants described 2 subtypes of external factors, overt and subtle, each of which included barriers and bolsters to career development. Overt support from mentors of both sexes was described as contributing to success. Subtle factors, such as gender norms, on institutional and cultural levels, affected behavior by creating environments that supported or detracted from career advancement. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, participants described both internal and external factors that have been associated with their advancement into leadership roles. Future attention toward encouraging intrinsic strengths, fostering environments that bolster career development, and emphasizing adaptability, along with work-system redesign, may be key components to career success and advancing diversity in surgical leadership roles.