Perceptions of support and policies regarding pregnancy, parenting, and family planning during veterinary training at United States veterinary medical training institutions

Occupational segregation by gender in veterinary specialties: Who we are choosing, or who is choosing us

OBJECTIVE

Gender demographics vary across specialties including surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. Our objective was to determine whether residency selection or the decision to apply for training drives these differences.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Matched and unmatched residents lists from Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP) from 2011 to 2020. Comparative Data Reports from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges from 2010 to 2019.

METHODS

Names for matched and unmatched residents with addresses in the United States or Canada were coded for gender for seven programs: large and small animal surgery, large and small animal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. Match rate by gender was compared using chi-square tests. Gender demographics of applicants were compared to demographics of graduates using tests of two proportions.

RESULTS

No differences were observed between genders for the likelihood of successfully matching into each residency program evaluated except in large animal internal medicine. Women (44.2%) were slightly more likely to match, overall, than men (39.0%, p = .003). The proportions of women applying for residencies overall (70.7%), in large and small animal surgery (66.1%, 62.2%), cardiology (70.2%), and neurology (70.7%) were lower than the proportion of female graduates (79%; p's < .001).

CONCLUSION

No evidence for gender bias was detected in the VIRMP resident selection process. Female veterinary graduates seemed less likely to apply for residencies than their male counterparts.

IMPACT

Occupational segregation seems to stem from the decision to apply for residency. Interventions aimed at altering gender demographics in specialized medicine should target potential applicants.

Work, life, and the gender effect: Perspectives of ACVIM Diplomates in 2017. Part 2-The intersection of personal life and professional career

BACKGROUND

In the field of veterinary surgery, women neither marry nor have children at the same rate as men, and those who do may experience more career disruption as a result. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is 1 of the few areas of specialized medicine that is predominantly female; it is unknown if such a demographic shift would produce a different environment for individuals cultivating their personal life.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES

To report data regarding subjective and objective aspects of the intersection of the personal and professional lives of Diplomates of the ACVIM.

SAMPLE

Eight hundred ninety-six surveys (781 completed) of ACVIM Diplomates, including cardiology, large and small animal internal medicine, neurology, and oncology.

METHODS

An 82-item online survey was distributed to ACVIM Diplomates via Diplomate college listservs. Participation was voluntary.

RESULTS

Men were more likely to be married and have children than were women. Women had or adopted their first child at a later career stage compared with men, and agreed more strongly that career stage was an influential factor in family planning. Those with children worked fewer hours compared with those without, and this effect was greater among women. Women were more likely to require external childcare, but most men and women shared childcare responsibilities equally outside of working hours.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

The intersection of personal and professional life differs between men and women in the ACVIM, which may create different needs, preferences, or barriers to work-life balance in the workforce.

Gender differences in academic rank among faculty surgeons at US veterinary schools in 2019

OBJECTIVE

To describe academic rank, gender, surgical career length, and publication record of academic veterinary surgeons and to estimate the association between gender and higher academic rank.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE

Residency-trained surgeons at US veterinary schools in 2019.

METHODS

Surgeons were identified via institutional websites. Data including surgeon gender, academic title, and year of board certification were collected from public resources. Publication record was measured by using author h-indices obtained from Scopus. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

Three hundred eighteen surgeons were identified from 30 institutions, including 162 (51%) women and 156 (49%) men. Women represented 66% of instructors and assistant professors, and men represented 60% of associate and full professors. This distribution differed significantly (P < .001). Author h-index was associated with career length but not gender. Men were 2.5 times more likely than women to be associate or full professors (odds ratio 2.52, 95% CI 1.03-6.14, P = .042) after adjustment for career length and h-index.

CONCLUSION

Female surgery faculty at US veterinary schools in 2019 were concentrated in lower academic ranks and were less likely than male surgery faculty to be associate or full professors after adjustment for career length and publication record.

IMPACT

A gender gap exists in academic veterinary surgery in the United States. It is critical to recognize that women's increasing participation in veterinary medicine has not been matched by equal representation in all areas. Additional efforts are warranted to identify contributing factors and implement strategies to improve gender inclusion.

Perceptions of Maternal Discrimination and Pregnancy/Postpartum Experiences Among Veterinary Mothers

Objective: To describe perceptions of maternal discrimination and to begin to understand patterns around timing of starting families, infertility, and post-partum depression among veterinary mothers. Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions posted to a social media platform "Moms with a DVM." Sample: 1,082 veterinary mothers in the United States. Procedures: An online questionnaire was administered regarding perceived discrimination, inequities in the work-place due to pregnant or maternal status, desired accommodations, timing of pregnancy(ies), fertility issues, and postpartum experiences. Results: At least one form of perceived discrimination was reported by 819 (75.7%) respondents (M = 2.6, SD = 2.1, range 0-10). Specifically, 789 (72.9%) reported maternal discrimination. Over half of the sample (n = 632, 58.4%) reported at least one instance of perceived inequity in the workplace due to status as a mother (M = 1.23, SD = 1.4, range 0-5). A majority (906, 83.7%) reported that their career had "definitely" or "maybe" affected the timing of their children. One hundred eighty-nine respondents (17.5%) experienced at least one miscarriage, and 192 (17.6%) used fertility treatment due to difficulty conceiving. Postpartum depression was diagnosed in 181 respondents (16.7%), and 353 (32.6%) reported symptoms consistent with postpartum depression but did not seek medical care. Of 953 participants who needed accommodations for breastfeeding and/or pumping while at work, 130 (13.6%) reported excellent accommodations, 454 (47.6%) adequate, 258 (27.1%) inadequate, and 111 (11.6%) had no accommodations provided. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Participants reported experiences of perceived maternal discrimination, as well as inequities and lack of support services due to status as a mother. These results highlight the need for attention and changes to ensure veterinarians have supportive and sustainable career options.