Gender disparity in the effects of COVID‐19 on academic productivity and career satisfaction in anesthesiology in the US: Results of a national survey of anesthesiologists

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic created unprecedented challenges for anesthesiologists both at work and home. This study examined whether the pandemic affected academic productivity and career satisfaction among anesthesiologists practicing in the United States during the early stages of the pandemic and whether these effects differed by gender. A survey was emailed to 25,473 members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists to learn about their experiences during the beginning of the pandemic. The survey directed respondents to rate their change in academic productivity, clinical care hours, scholarly and leadership opportunities, income, childcare duties, and household responsibilities during the first 5 months of the pandemic (March 1–July 31, 2020). The primary variable was gender, academic productivity was the primary outcome, and data were analyzed by multivariable proportional odds logistic regression models and correlations. Female anesthesiologists reported lower academic productivity and career satisfaction relative to male anesthesiologists during the study period. Career satisfaction positively correlated with academic productivity. Compared to male anesthesiologists, female anesthesiologists also had more household responsibilities before and during the pandemic. Being a female parent reduced academic productivity relative to that reported by nonparents of either gender. In conclusion, the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic had a greater adverse professional impact on female anesthesiologists than on their male counterparts. Efforts to support and retain female anesthesiologists, particularly those early in their careers and those with children, are essential for the specialty to maintain its workforce and promote gender equity in promotion and leadership. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Gender, Work & Organization is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Burnout from Gender Inequity in a Pandemic.

Women represent approximately one-third of all anesthesiologists in the United States. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, research regarding gender bias in anesthesiology defined the scope of the problem. Unfortunately, the pandemic exposed and expanded the imbalances associated with gender, placing women anesthesiologists as both primary caregivers in the home and on the frontlines of health care. These systemic inequities exacerbated burnout in women anesthesiologists. Several initiatives that can improve well-being and the work culture for all anesthesiologists, including women, will also be discussed.