Female Surgeons More Often Cite Inequity and Mistreatment as Reasons for Job Changes

An observational survey published in Annals of Surgery examined reasons female physicians changed jobs or left medicine. Researchers recruited respondents through credential-verified private female physician social media groups and email from February to May 2024. The analysis included 593 respondents—170 surgeons and 423 nonsurgeons—and excluded physicians who had neither changed jobs nor left medicine.

Surgeons more frequently identified pay inequity as their primary reason for changing jobs than nonsurgeons (5.3% vs. 1.2%; P=0.005), along with harassment, bullying or discrimination (15.3% vs. 6.4%; P<0.001). Long hours were cited less frequently by surgeons (28.7% vs. 39.5%; P=0.015). Ten surgeons (5.9%) reported leaving medicine. Nearly half of surgeons indicated that an improved work environment and culture could have prevented their departure.

The findings identify workplace conditions as potential targets for retention efforts, but do not establish that specific interventions would prevent departures. The self-selected sample and exclusion of physicians without career transitions limit generalizability and preclude estimating departure rates among female physicians overall. Surgeons and nonsurgeons also differed in fellowship training and current academic employment, which should be considered when interpreting the comparisons.