Improving gender equality in oncology requires early action, creative thinking
Early engagement with students, guidelines for choosing speakers at meetings and forums, and addressing unique burnout issues for women are all key elements of balancing gender in the field of oncology.
“One barrier for women in oncology has to do with making sure we’re fully represented in oncology, so you can argue that it goes all the way back to our pipeline in medicine,” Nancy Davidson, MD, president and executive director of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, told Healio. “We need to make sure that in the earliest phases, such as high school, that both men and women are aware of the terrific option of a career in medicine.”
Maintaining a robust oncology workforce can be especially challenging, as not everyone is suited to this particularly demanding specialty, according to Davidson.
“It’s partly a pipeline issue, making sure we get the best and most motivated people into this field overall, and for us in our field we need to make sure that oncology is as an attractive specialty as possible, given the importance and pervasiveness of the diseases we treat,” Davidson said.
She also suggested that a way to entice more women to speak at conferences is to get them on the stage in the first place and then ensure that they are recognized equally. The latter, she said, appears to be somewhat easier than the former.
“In a recent study (Duma et al.), some of our colleagues looked at the [American Society of Clinical Oncology] meeting recordings and catalogued how people were addressed,” Davidson said. “They found a discrepancy in the way men in particular introduced women vs. men, and that discrepancy did not exist when women introduced men and women. Something many organizations are trying to do now is script the introduction. You can’t say ‘Dr. Joe Smith and Karina.’ You need to say, ‘Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones.’ That, I think, is an easy change to implement. It’s useful that we have these data that show our reality and provide people with clear solutions for that situation.”
With regard to diversifying speaker rosters, Davidson referred to the “Rooney Rule” instituted by the NFL and named after Dan Rooney, former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and former chairman of the league’s diversity committee.
“Rooney reflected on the fact that we have many African American football players but very few in leadership positions,” she said. “He put in place the rule that if you are interviewing candidates for a leadership position, you must include a minority candidate. For our field, when we’re setting up these speaking positions, we need to be very purposeful in making sure that we’re engaging people of color — including women of course — and don’t end up with a panel of all white men.”
Davidson said that it is important to think outside the box —not “rounding up the usual suspects, but rather thinking creatively about people who are highly qualified to talk about a subject.”
Finally, Davidson noted that although all medical practitioners experience periods of burnout in their careers, women may face certain personal challenges not always faced by men.
“Women might not have the coverage they need at home, whether it’s caring for young children or later in life when they have parental care issues,” she said. “It’s important to keep in mind how to best balance things. Additionally, realize that sometimes these issues are limited by the passage time, and things will get better.”
Davidson also highlighted the importance of vacations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, as personal and professional lives begin to blur.
“Practitioners must keep in mind that you really do need downtime. It’s necessary to withdraw and recharge,” she said. “Each person needs to decide their own course on balancing their work and their personal life, but a career in oncology is hopefully a lifetime commitment. You have to pace yourself and find yourself in a position where you’re handling this as a marathon and not as a sprint.”
Reference:
Duma N, et al. Abstract 10503. Presented at: ASCO Annual Meeting; May 31-June 4, 2019; Chicago.
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