Summary

The daughters of Title IX discover that pervasive gender-based stereotypes and discrimination persist within the high stakes professional world of surgery - a workplace designed for and and still controlled by men. Since 2003, half of medical students in the US have been women. Women remain in the minority in most surgical fields but their proportion is increasing. Leadership and culture in surgery remain disproportionately and persistently male despite ample evidence that women are just as good (and possibly better) at delivering care. Systemic barriers to success for women surgeons must be confronted and addressed for the surgical workforce to stay healthy and for patients to stay safe. We’ve interviewed dozens of surgeons who are women about their experiences, hopes, dreams and careers. This is a group of extraordinarily dedicated physicians who work every day to improve the health and lives of others despite untold challenges.