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 The Women in Neurosugery (WINS) reception at the 1999 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Meeting must be a harbinger of good things to come. The turnout was exceptional, as we attracted more than 50 WINS members, guests and sponsors. NMT Neurosciences sponsored the reception, which was immediately followed by a captivating talk by Nancy Auer, MD, Medical Director of the Emergency Department of Swedish Hospital.
Ironically, Dr. Auer began her training as a neurosurgeon. After recognizing hurdles thrown in her direction, she elected not to continue and shifted her focus to ER medicine. As much as we all enjoyed her talk, the feedback that I have received from members and directors indicates that the conversation that followed was even more stimulating. Much has changed in the 20 years since Dr. Auer was in training, but some things remain the same -- why are there so few women who remain in academic jobs and so few that seek positions of leadership?
Inequities in promotion, salary, and block operating room time play a role, as does a woman’s role as the primary caretaker of home and hearth. Some women chose to work part-time while their children are young and then return to the full-time practice of neurosurgery. Still, it is our responsibility -- our mission -- to seek equal training, equal opportunities and equal pay for women who choose to devote 100 percent of their career efforts to the gentle and delicate discipline of spinal and cerebral surgery.
Work by Susan Fiske, PhD, on gender discrimination was recently used in a landmark Supreme Court decision. Dr. Fiske identified conditions in the workplace that lead to stereotyping. She said that in the absence of written policies, a woman’s gender becomes her defining trait -- she is judged on her gender and not her performance. When formal procedures for hiring and evaluating are not established, discrimination is more likely. In addition, when employers have little knowledge about an individual, they tend to fall back on gut feelings, often stereotypes.
Dr. Fiske’s solution to the problem is two-fold: 1) Actively recruit more minorities so that they are no longer novelties, but rather considered the norm; and 2) Establish formal policies and procedures for recruitment, evaluation and termination. Perhaps it is work for the Residency Review Committee (RRC) to ensure that there are formal policies on pregnancy and family leave, promotion and termination.
I am not alone in fielding the phone calls from distraught residents who fear of losing their positions and don’t know where to turn. The RRC should have formal policies in effect and serve as a neutral ground. WINS will explore this subject further in the near future.
In addition to seeking equality in the workplace, our mission must be to educate and encourage women to seek and hold leadership positions. There is no doubt in my mind that role models are important and female medical students need to know that neurosurgery is a possible choice for specialization (even if there aren’t any females pursuing that specialty on their home turf).
Although we are an organization of women, we support any minority in the field of neurosurgery. Once "critical mass" is achieved, we -- the WINS organization -- will be unnecessary. Hurray when that day comes.
This year, we will celebrate our 10-year anniversary. To recognize this accomplishment, WINS has secured a large grant from Synthes and will use the monies to plan an exciting program for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting. The 1998 AANS President, Russell L. Travis, MD, who is an avid supporter of WINS, is working closely with us to plan something extra special for the event, slated to take place Tuesday, April 27 at 5:30 pm in the New Orleans Hilton Magnolia Room. In addition, Daria Schooler, MD, WINS President-Elect, and Edie Zusman, MD, WINS Secretary/Treasurer, are busy seeking Annual Meeting sponsors and keeping current with our membership.
I am looking forward to New Orleans and a wonderful time at the meeting and WINS reception. Please set aside some time to thank Dr. Travis and Bill Cerullo (Synthes) and let them know how much we value their support. We may be a small organization, but we sure have heart.
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