Jagsi R, Guancial EA, Worobey CC, Henault LE, Chang YC, Starr R, Tarbell NJ, Hylek EM "The "gender gap" in authorship of Academic Medical Literature - A 35-year perspective " New England Journal of Medicine 355 (3): 281-287 JUL 20 2006

[Eugene Garfield]

Reshma Jagsi : reshma_jagsi at post.harvard.edu

Title: The "gender gap" in authorship of Academic Medical Literature - A 35-
year perspective

Author(s): Jagsi R, Guancial EA, Worobey CC, Henault LE, Chang YC, Starr R,
Tarbell NJ, Hylek EM

Source: NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 355 (3): 281-287 JUL 20 2006

Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 36      Times Cited: 1

Abstract:
Background: Participation of women in the medical profession has increased
during the past four decades, but issues of concern persist regarding
disparities between the sexes in academic medicine. Advancement is largely
driven by peer-reviewed original research, so we sought to determine the
representation of female physician-investigators among the authors of
selected publications during the past 35 years.

Methods: Original articles from six prominent medical journals - the New
England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA), the Annals of Internal Medicine (Ann Intern Med), the
Annals of Surgery (Ann Surg), Obstetrics & Gynecology (Obstet Gynecol), and
the Journal of Pediatrics (J Pediatr) - were categorized according to the
sex of both the first and the senior (last listed) author. Sex was also
determined for the authors of guest editorials in NEJM and JAMA. Data were
collected for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2004. The analysis was
restricted to authors from U.S. institutions holding M.D. degrees.

Results: The sex was determined for 98.5 percent of the 7249 U.S. authors
of original research with M.D. degrees. The proportion of first authors who
were women increased from 5.9 percent in 1970 to 29.3 percent in 2004 (P <
0.001), and the proportion of senior authors who were women increased from
3.7 percent to 19.3 percent (P < 0.001) during the same period. The
proportion of authors who were women increased most sharply in Obstet
Gynecol (from 6.7 percent of first authors and 6.8 percent of senior
authors in 1970 to 40.7 percent of first authors and 28.0 percent of senior
authors in 2004) and J Pediatr (from 15.0 percent of first authors and 4.3
percent of senior authors in 1970 to 38.9 percent of first authors and 38.0
percent of senior authors in 2004) and remained low in Ann Surg (from 2.3
percent of first authors and 0.7 percent of senior authors in 1970 to 16.7
percent of first authors and 6.7 percent of senior authors in 2004). In
2004, 11.4 percent of the authors of guest editorials in NEJM and 18.8
percent of the authors of guest editorials in JAMA were women.

Conclusions: Over the past four decades, the proportion of women among both
first and senior physician-authors of original research in the United
States has significantly increased. Nevertheless, women still compose a
minority of the authors of original research and guest editorials in the
journals studied.


Addresses: Jagsi R (reprint author), Harvard Univ, Massachusetts Gen Hosp,
Sch Med, Off Womens Careers, Bulfinch 370,55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114 USA
Harvard Univ, Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Sch Med, Off Womens Careers, Boston,
MA 02114 USA
Harvard Univ, Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Sch Med, Dept Radiat Oncol, Boston,
MA USA
Harvard Univ, Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Sch Med, Dept Nephrol, Boston, MA USA
Harvard Univ, Massachusetts Gen Hosp, Sch Med, Div Gen Med, Boston, MA USA
Boston Univ, Sch Med, Boston Med Ctr, Sect Gen Internal Med,Res Unit,
Boston, MA 02118 USA

E-mail Addresses: reshma_jagsi at post.harvard.edu

Publisher: MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SOC, WALTHAM WOODS CENTER, 860 WINTER ST,,
WALTHAM, MA 02451-1413 USA
Subject Category: MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL
IDS Number: 064NY

ISSN: 0028-4793

CITED REFERENCES :
 MIT FACULTY NEWS MAR : 1999

 *AM MED ASS
PHYS CHAR DISTR US : 2004

 *ASS AM MED COLL
AAMC DAT BOOK 1990 : 1990

 *ASS AM MED COLL
AAMC DAT BOOK 1995 : 1995

 *ASS AM MED COLL
AAMC DAT BOOK 2000 : 2000

 *ASS AM MED COLL
AAMC DAT BOOK 2004 : 2004

 *ASS AM MED COLL
WOM US AC MED STAT M : 2005

 *ASS AM MED COLL
WOM US AC MED STAT M : 2004

 *THOMS I SCI INF
J CIT REP : 2002

 BARNETT RC
Relationships of gender and career motivation to medical faculty members'
production of academic publications
ACADEMIC MEDICINE 73 : 180 1998

 BASTUJIGARIN S
Publications of French dermatology professors from 1996 to 1998.

ANNALES DE DERMATOLOGIE ET DE VENEREOLOGIE 129 : 1354 2002

 BHATTACHARYYA N
Increased female authorship in otolaryngology over the past three decades
LARYNGOSCOPE 110 : 358 2000

 BICKEL J
ACAD MED 77 : 1043 2002

 BICKEL J
GENDER-ASSOCIATED DIFFERENCES IN MATRICULATING AND GRADUATING MEDICAL-
STUDENTS
ACADEMIC MEDICINE 70 : 552 1995

 BICKEL J
WOMEN IN MEDICAL-EDUCATION - A STATUS-REPORT
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 319 : 1579 1988

 BLAND KI
Contemporary trends in student selection of medical specialties - The
potential impact on general surgery
ARCHIVES OF SURGERY 137 : 259 2002

 BUCKLEY LM
Attitudes of clinical faculty about career progress, career success and
recognition, and commitment to academic medicine - Results of a survey
ARCHIVES OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 160 : 2625 2000

 CARR P
RESEARCH, ACADEMIC RANK, AND COMPENSATION OF WOMEN AND MEN FACULTY IN
ACADEMIC GENERAL INTERNAL-MEDICINE
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE 7 : 418 1992

 CARR PL
Relation of family responsibilities and gender to the productivity and
career satisfaction of medical faculty
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 129 : 532 1998

 CARR PL
COMPARING THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND MEN IN ACADEMIC MEDICINE
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 119 : 908 1993

 CUCA JM
SPECIALIZATION AND CAREER PREFERENCES OF WOMEN AND MEN RECENTLY GRADUATED
FROM UNITED-STATES MEDICAL-SCHOOLS
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL WOMENS ASSOCIATION 34 : 425 1979

 DICKERSIN K
Is there a sex bias in choosing editors? Epidemiology journals as an example
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 280 : 260 1998

 DORSEY ER
The influence of controllable lifestyle and sex on the specialty choices of
graduating US medical students, 1996-2003

ACADEMIC MEDICINE 80 : 791 2005

 DORSEY ER
Influence of controllable lifestyle on recent trends in specialty choice by
US medical students
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 290 : 1173 2003

 DORSEY ER
JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC 290 : 2666 2003

 GARFIELD E
The history and meaning of the journal impact factor
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 295 : 90 2006

 GROSZ B
REPORT TASK FORCE WO : 2005

 LAMBERT EM
The relationship between specialty choice and gender of US medical
students, 1990-2003
ACADEMIC MEDICINE 80 : 797 2005

 NONNEMAKER L
Women physicians in academic medicine: New insights from cohort studies.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 342 : 399 2000

 RICHTEL M
NY TIMES 0107 : A1 2004

RICHTEL M
NY TIMES 0107 : A19 2004

 SCHIAFFINO A
GAC SANIT 15 : 251 2001

 TESCH BJ
PROMOTION OF WOMEN PHYSICIANS IN ACADEMIC MEDICINE - GLASS CEILING OR
STICKY FLOOR
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 273 : 1022 1995

 VYDARENY KH
Career advancement of men and women in academic radiology: Is the playing
field level?
ACADEMIC RADIOLOGY 7 : 493 2000

 WENDEL TM
Are there gender differences in choosing a surgical career?
SURGERY 134 : 591 2003

 YEDIDIA MJ
Why aren't there more women leaders in academic medicine? The views of
clinical department chairs
ACADEMIC MEDICINE 76 : 453 2001