Loren Galler Rabinowitz1, Lauren Tal Grinspan2, Haley M Zylberberg3, Rebekah Dixon1, Yakira N David1, Olga C Aroniadis4, Austin Chiang5, Jennifer Christie6, Nabil F Fayad7, Christina Ha8, Lucinda A Harris8, Cynthia W Ko9, Jennifer Kolb10, Joann Kwah11, Linda Lee12, David Lieberman13, Laura E Raffals14, Douglas K Rex7, Shailja C Shah15,16, Uzma D Siddiqui16, Michael S Smith3, Michael Wallace17, Renee Williams11, Karen Woods18, Sheila E Crowe19, Nikhil A Kumta1, Michelle Kang Kim1, David A Greenwald1. 1. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA. 2. Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA. 3. Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA. 4. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA. 5. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 6. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. 7. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 8. Karsh Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Los Angeles, California, USA. 9. Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. 10. H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center, University of California Irvine, Orange, California, USA. 11. Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA. 12. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 13. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA. 14. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. 15. Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville Tennessee, USA. 16. Division of Gastroenterology, Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Health System, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 17. Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. 18. Houston Methodist Gastroenterology Associates, Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders, Houston, Texas, USA. 19. Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Diseases, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Gastroenterologists at all levels of practice benefit from formal mentoring. Much of the current literature on mentoring in gastroenterology is based on expert opinion rather than data. In this study, we aimed to identify gender-related barriers to successful mentoring relationships from the mentor and mentee perspectives. METHODS: A voluntary, web-based survey was distributed to physicians at 20 academic institutions across the United States. Overall, 796 gastroenterology fellows and faculty received the survey link, with 334 physicians responding to the survey (42% response rate), of whom 299 (90%; 129 women and 170 men) completed mentorship questions and were included in analysis. RESULTS: Responses of women and men were compared. Compared with men, more women preferred a mentor of the same gender (38.6% women vs 4.2% men, P < 0.0001) but less often had one (45.5% vs 70.2%, P < 0.0001). Women also reported having more difficulty finding a mentor (44.4% vs 16.0%, P < 0.0001) and more often cited inability to identify a mentor of the same gender as a contributing factor (12.8% vs 0.9%, P = 0.0004). More women mentors felt comfortable advising women mentees about work-life balance (88.3% vs 63.8%, P = 0.0005). Nonetheless, fewer women considered themselves effective mentors (33.3% vs 52.6%, P = 0.03). More women reported feeling pressured to mentor because of their gender (39.5% vs 0.9% of men, P < 0.0001). Despite no gender differences, one-third of respondents reported negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ability to mentor and be mentored. DISCUSSION: Inequities exist in the experiences of women mentees and mentors in gastroenterology, which may affect career advancement and job satisfaction.
INTRODUCTION: Gastroenterologists at all levels of practice benefit from formal mentoring. Much of the current literature on mentoring in gastroenterology is based on expert opinion rather than data. In this study, we aimed to identify gender-related barriers to successful mentoring relationships from the mentor and mentee perspectives. METHODS: A voluntary, web-based survey was distributed to physicians at 20 academic institutions across the United States. Overall, 796 gastroenterology fellows and faculty received the survey link, with 334 physicians responding to the survey (42% response rate), of whom 299 (90%; 129 women and 170 men) completed mentorship questions and were included in analysis. RESULTS: Responses of women and men were compared. Compared with men, more women preferred a mentor of the same gender (38.6% women vs 4.2% men, P < 0.0001) but less often had one (45.5% vs 70.2%, P < 0.0001). Women also reported having more difficulty finding a mentor (44.4% vs 16.0%, P < 0.0001) and more often cited inability to identify a mentor of the same gender as a contributing factor (12.8% vs 0.9%, P = 0.0004). More women mentors felt comfortable advising women mentees about work-life balance (88.3% vs 63.8%, P = 0.0005). Nonetheless, fewer women considered themselves effective mentors (33.3% vs 52.6%, P = 0.03). More women reported feeling pressured to mentor because of their gender (39.5% vs 0.9% of men, P < 0.0001). Despite no gender differences, one-third of respondents reported negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their ability to mentor and be mentored. DISCUSSION: Inequities exist in the experiences of women mentees and mentors in gastroenterology, which may affect career advancement and job satisfaction.