The underrepresentation of women in cardiothoracic surgery—a field where they comprise less than 10% of practitioners in the United States—was the central theme at the second annual meeting of Women in Thoracic Surgery. Discussions highlighted the unique challenges faced by female surgeons, from internalizing self-doubt (“impostor syndrome”) to navigating a historically male-dominated environment that often requires assertive, even defiant, career strategies.
The Persistence of Impostor Syndrome
The meeting addressed the pervasive feeling of inadequacy many women experience in high-pressure surgical roles. When asked how to deal with complications, Dr. Alexandra Kharazi, a cardiothoracic surgeon from San Diego, offered a blunt assessment: all surgeons encounter failures. The key, she argued, is focusing on positive outcomes rather than fixating on unavoidable risks. This pragmatic approach is particularly vital for women, who may face harsher scrutiny when errors occur.
Navigating a Male-Dominated Field
Dr. Kharazi shared anecdotes illustrating the subtle yet potent barriers women face in cardiology and thoracic surgery. One male colleague openly discouraged her from seeking operating privileges at his hospital, advising her against “going where you’re not invited.” Her response? To ignore such advice entirely. As she put it, “My entire life has essentially consisted of going where I wasn’t invited,” and this relentless self-advocacy was crucial to her success.
The Broader Context: Why This Matters
The scarcity of women in this specialty isn’t random; it reflects systemic issues. While women now make up nearly 40% of all physicians, their representation in surgery lags at around 30%. Cardiothoracic surgery, however, remains an extreme outlier, with fewer than 10% female practitioners. This imbalance impacts patient care, research diversity, and the overall evolution of the field. The meeting underscored that overcoming such disparities requires not only individual resilience but also a willingness to disrupt established norms.
The experiences shared at this conference demonstrate that women in cardiothoracic surgery must often defy expectations and assert their presence in spaces where they are historically unwelcome to achieve equal opportunity.
