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Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences

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Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences JOURNAL OF WOMEN’S HEALTH Volume 26, Number 5, 2017 ª Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2016.6012 Women’s Careers in Biomedical Sciences: Implications for the Economy, Scientific Discovery, and Women’s Health Jennifer L. Plank-Bazinet, PhD,1 Misty L. Heggeness, PhD, MPP, MSW,2 P. Kay Lund, PhD,3 and Janine Austin Clayton, MD1 Abstract While women have been well represented in medical school and biomedical doctoral degree programs, they do not comprise half of academic medicine faculty positions. Furthermore, there is a significant paucity of women in academic medicine leadership positions, as evidenced by the fact that only 16% of dean positions at United States Medical schools are filled by women. In this commentary, the authors review the state of women in academic medicine and argue that increased representation of women in the academic workforce will lead to economic gains, increased scientific discovery, and improvements to women’s health. Keywords: women in science, careers, academic medicine, women’s health, scientific discovery, biomedical research workforce, gender and economic development or the past decade, approximately half of medical more attractive and hospitable for women academics. There- Fschool graduates and doctoral degree recipients in the fore, the paucity of women in senior leadership roles may dis- biological sciences have been women.1,2 Despite this gender courage younger women from advancing. A study by Carrell parity in degree recipients, an underrepresentation of women et al. provides evidence that having female mentors and role on medical school faculty persists. In 2014, women made up models matters.9 They conducted a study of women placed 38% of full-time medical school faculty in the United States.2 randomly into STEM courses taught by women or men and Furthermore, women are particularly underrepresented in found that the gender gap in course grades was eliminated when academic medicine leadership positions, illustrated by the female professors taught female students.9 Having a mentor fact that in 2014, only 15% of permanent department chairs leads to increased productivity, career advancement, and satis- and 16% of deans were women.2 Recent reports have shown faction, further highlighting the importance of mentoring on that from a relative labor market perspective, women are not retention and advancement of women in academic medi- underrepresented in biomedical research during training, but cine.10,11 Recent work has highlighted the importance of mentor are underrepresented in independent research positions, networks rather than traditional mentor dyads, as it is unlikely providing additional evidence that advancement of women in that a single mentor can meet all of the needs of the mentee.12 In the biomedical workforce is suboptimal.3,4 particular, women noted the need to have at least one woman Multiple factors likely contribute to the low representation of mentor to provide guidance on workplace communication in a women in academic medicine and biomedical research and deter male-dominated field, negotiation, and work-life integration.12 advancement into leadership positions. Implicit, or subconscious, In addition to mentoring, having a sponsor, or advocate, greatly biases in selecting men over women have been reported as bar- benefits both men and women; individuals with a sponsor are riers to career advancement of women in academia.5,6 Further- more likely to be promoted.13 However, women are less likely more, when hired, women tend to receive a lower starting salary to have a sponsor than men.13,14 A recent study also indicated than their male colleagues.7 Given that starting salary often limits that group coaching can augment mentoring to promote per- future pay increases, salary equity is often unattainable,7 and sistence among women and individuals from underrepresented lower earnings throughout a career can negatively impact re- groups in academic medicine.15 Increasing the numbers of fe- tirement funds, putting women at a life-long disadvantage.8 male role models, mentors, sponsors, or coaches available to Considerable evidence suggests that woman mentors and role younger women could have a profound effect on the sustained models pave the way and make the leadership environment career advancement of women in the biomedical workforce. 1Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. 2Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division, US Census Bureau, Suitland, Maryland. 3Division of Biomedical Research Workforce, Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. 525 526 PLANK-BAZINET ET AL. It is also possible that leadership positions in academic to incentives. As such, economists study social phenomena science simply might not be attractive to women. Perhaps the that hinder the efficient allocation of resources at an indi- responsibilities associated with leading a research organiza- vidual and societal level, which in turn has the potential to tion, the time demands of leadership positions, and institu- slow economic growth. Gender inequality in the labor tional culture are not appealing, particularly to women with market has the potential to create inefficiencies and slow young children, elderly parents, and family obligations.16 A growth. A recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute recent report found that female physician researchers in ac- reported evidence that advancing gender equality—defined ademia spend 8.5 hours more per week engaged in household as bringing more women into the labor force, increasing the chores and family care than their male counterparts.17 The proportion of women who work full-time, and diversifying combination of personal and professional responsibilities the sectors where women work—could accelerate economic could deter women from staying in the biomedical research growth in the United States and increase the gross domestic workforce, and serve as a barrier to advancement into lead- product by $2.1 trillion.26,27 In the end, society benefits ership positions. Human resource policies that encourage when highly trained women can stay engaged on the fore- flexible work schedules, improve child and elderly care re- front and cutting-edge space of their research and human sources, and other benefits help make biomedical research capital investments. careers and leadership roles more hospitable for both men and women.18,19 Recent novel policy interventions in pater- Enhancing Scientific Discovery nity leave have shown that when parental leave policies re- quire fathers to take a portion of the leave, mothers are more In addition to economic benefits, increased gender diver- likely to stay employed.20,21 The availability and use of paid sity in the workforce can enhance scientific discovery. While paternity leave could empower women and lead to more more empiric data are needed to measure the impact of equity in the workforce.22 Keeping women in the workforce gender diversity in academic medicine and biomedical re- and advancing into leadership positions requires a balanced search, findings from other fields suggest that increasing approach when considering family-friendly policies not only representation of women will result in increased scientific for women, but for men, too. discovery.28 Other evidence indicates that diversity, in race/ Despite facing gender-related biological pressures, im- ethnicity, gender, and age, has a significant impact on the plicit biases, and cultural hurdles, there are opportunities to overall effectiveness of a group.29 Literature suggests that develop and enhance the use of interventions and mecha- diverse groups bring together different information, opinions, nisms geared toward sustaining and advancing the careers of perspectives, and experiences, which promote increased women in academic medicine and biomedical research. For creativity, innovation, and more effective decision making.30 example, training modules may be effective in ameliorating Indeed, recent studies indicate that publications written by implicit biases during hiring.6 Institutional culture can be diverse groups have more significant impact than those measured and changed, leading to a more positive environ- written by more homogeneous groups,31 indicating enhanced ment for all faculty.23,24 A recent randomized controlled trial scientific discovery and dissemination as a result of diversity. at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of A 2013 publication also reported that groups consisting of Medicine proved effective in improving the academic pro- men and women produce higher impact work, and their ductivity and job satisfaction of women faculty.25 Such publications received more citations than gender homoge- programs and others that may be implemented to promote neous groups.32 gender diversity in the biomedical workforce have far- There are several potential benefits to gender diversity as it reaching implications. In this commentary, we discuss the relates to scientific discovery. Gender balance is reported to potential economic impacts, increased scientific discovery, increase the collective intelligence of a group, and mixed- and effects on women’s health that may result from in- gender teams have been found to be more effective than creasing the representation of women in academic medi- teams of all men or all women.33,34 Importantly for the sci- cine, biomedical research, and leadership. entific enterprise, evidence suggests that diverse groups outperform homogeneous groups of
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