gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Neurosurgery has traditionally been a male-dominated field, with both U.S.-American and European studies demonstrating a disproportionally small recruitment of women into the specialty when compared to their male counterparts. In this study, we aimed to determine the evolution of female participation in the German Association of Neurosurgery (DGNC) and establish a trend on female recruitment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study evaluating the membership of the DGNC from its creation until present, assessing the amount of female members and their academic degrees. We then performed a scatter-plot charting of their numbers throughout the years for trend estimation.

Results: In 1969, the first woman joined the DGNC. Since then, the amount of ordinary members has exponentially risen to 170 in 2020 (b=86). The first two female associate professors (PD) joined the DGNC in 1981, constituting 29% (2/7) of all female ordinary members. Since then, the percentage of PD among female members of the DGNC has steadily decreased (y= -0.31), making up 10% of the current female ordinary membership. On the other hand, the first female professor in the DGNC appeared in 1985, making up 14% (1/7) of all female ordinary members in that year. Since then, the proportion of professors among female ordinary members has also steadily decreased (y= -0.17), yet at a slower rate than PD, constituting 11% of the current female ordinary membership.

Conclusion: While female participation in the DGNC has grown exponentially since the first woman joined the association in 1969, our study suggests that there is an academic glass ceiling for women in German neurosurgery, for the proportion of female PD and professors has not followed the trend of female ordinary membership throughout the decades.

Figure 1 [Fig. 1], Figure 2 [Fig. 2]