VIDEO: Women should always ask for a seat at the table, says GI expert

Samita Garg, MD

In this video, Shaukat advocates women take “a seat at the table” alongside our male colleagues, “where all the decisions are being made,” and to “pull up” other women with us.

Women comprise less than 18% of practicing gastroenterologists. A recent cross-sectional cohort study by Purdon and colleagues in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported women currently account for about 6% of GI chiefs and 25% of GI program directors.

Studies show that female patients (who are at least 50% of GI patients) strongly prefer female gastroenterologists for both office visits and colonoscopies. As many studies and authors have previously mentioned, patients also appreciate the empathy and detailed approach that women tend to display in practice, as well as their patient-centered communication and generally longer clinic visits. This helps patients feel more encouraged, comfortable and engaged. As studies have found, women have higher patient satisfaction scores, and female endoscopists may even have higher adenoma detection rates. Based on women’s high scores on quality parameters and the increased demand of patients and institutions for female gastroenterologists, women deserve to have “a seat at the table” where they can partner with their male counterparts to improve patient outcomes.

Women tend to undervalue their skills. As Carol Burke, MD, reported at the recent Scrubs & Heels Summit 2022 in Miami, more women and minorities experience imposter syndrome or self-doubt or feel “like a fraud at work,” even when they perform similar to men academically and professionally. This can lead to burnout, as well as anxiety, depression and, in general, not reaching one’s career potential. Instead, Shaukat recommends, “women should always be asking for a seat at the table and “don’t be sitting on the sidelines.” Be “where all the decisions are being made.” As mentioned at the Scrubs & Heels Summit, unlike more traditional paths in the past, women can be directly involved in creating an individualized career path that is unique and suitable to them and that meets their values and goals.

As more of us have a “seat at the table,” more of us can provide mentorship and leadership. Not having many women in leadership and mentorship is often cited as a reason that more women are not going into and succeeding in gastroenterology. The more we act as mentors and leaders — the more we “pull up,” as Shaukat says — those sitting behind us will soon sit with us and eventually surpass us to “elevate the whole field.” As about 30% of GI fellows are women, female GI attendings can provide mentorship just as female GI fellows can provide mentorship to female medical residents and students. The mentorship and support male GI attendings and colleagues provide is also crucial in creating a collaborative environment with equal opportunity for all to succeed.

Finally, despite deserving “a seat at the table,” it should be mentioned — and certainly not ignored — that many other factors can make it challenging for women in medicine and GI to achieve this goal. “Leaning in” is sometimes not enough. Gender disparities in salary, hours, career goals, workplace culture and ergonomics, as well as mentorship and leadership, may all be factors affecting the proportion of women in gastroenterology. Even the U.S. women’s soccer team, which has won four Women’s World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals, had to demand what they deserved.

Furthermore, unconscious bias and micro-aggressions affect women and minorities disproportionately in the workplace. Women working alongside men can foster change and balance in the workplace, so we can better take care of the patients we serve. When the institution is more diverse and representative of the population, then we can better serve that population.

So, let’s take “a seat at the table” and “pull up” the next generation of female gastroenterologists.

References:

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Friedman S. Dig Dis Sci. 2019;doi:10.1007/s10620-019-05765-6.

Mehrotra A, et al. Gastrointest Endosc. 2018;doi:10.1016/j.gie.2017.08.023.

Representation of women very low in academic internal medicine. https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220527/representation-of-women-very-low-in-academic-internal-medicine. Published May 27, 2022.

Roter DL, et al. JAMA. 2002;doi:10.1001/jama.288.6.756.

Shah DK, et al. Gastrointest Endosc. 2011;doi:10.1016/j.gie.2011.02.014.

Women in GI: Career-spanning strategies to overcome gender bias. https://www.mdedge.com/gihepnews/article/241580/practice-management/women-gi-career-spanning-strategies-overcome-gender. Published June 15, 2021. Accessed June 8, 2022.