ObjectivesFor the last two decades, more than half of Canadian medical students have been women, with an increasing number of medical trainees choosing emergency medicine as their careers. Despite a proportional increase of women in full-time faculty positions in emergency medicine, women are still underrepresented in leadership. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women leaders in emergency medicine to identify common themes that may have contributed to their acquisition of leadership roles.MethodsParticipants included women emergency medicine physicians in Canada who currently or previously held a leadership position. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. Transcribed data were coded and categorized into recurrent themes. A narrative summary of the most impactful themes was presented.ResultsTwenty participants were interviewed. Most participants perceived career opportunities were due to chance, related to personal skill set, or required additional training. Participants highlighted the importance of mentorship and sponsorship. Gender expectations and traditional gender roles were perceived as having a negative impact on career leadership success. Participants acknowledged the need for women in leadership to empower younger generations of women to become leaders. For future emergency medicine leaders, participants suggested applying for leadership positions early, networking, and seeking mentorship. Potential supportive changes to leadership structures included explicit parental leave policies, flexible scheduling, and job sharing to encourage women leaders.ConclusionTo date, there has been no Canadian specific study exploring the factors contributing to the success of women leaders in emergency medicine. This study examines career advancement of women leaders in emergency medicine and provides useful insight to those aspiring to grow their careers, as well as to mentors and sponsors of women in emergency medicine. ObjectifsAu cours des deux derni & egrave;res d & eacute;cennies, plus de la moiti & eacute; des & eacute;tudiants en m & eacute;decine canadiens & eacute;taient des femmes, et un nombre croissant de stagiaires en m & eacute;decine ont choisi la m & eacute;decine d'urgence comme carri & egrave;re. Malgr & eacute; une augmentation proportionnelle du nombre de femmes occupant des postes de professeurs & agrave; temps plein en m & eacute;decine d'urgence, les femmes sont encore sous-repr & eacute;sent & eacute;es dans les postes de direction. Le but de cette & eacute;tude est d'explorer les exp & eacute;riences des femmes leaders en m & eacute;decine d'urgence pour identifier les th & egrave;mes communs qui peuvent avoir contribu & eacute; & agrave; leur acquisition de r & ocirc;les de leadership.M & eacute;thodesParmi les participantes figuraient des femmes m & eacute;decins d'urgence au Canada qui occupaient actuellement ou auparavant un poste de direction. Les donn & eacute;es ont & eacute;t & eacute; recueillies au moyen d'entrevues semi-structur & eacute;es. Une analyse th & eacute;matique inductive a & eacute;t & eacute; effectu & eacute;e sur les transcriptions des entrevues. Les donn & eacute;es transcrites ont & eacute;t & eacute; cod & eacute;es et class & eacute;es en th & egrave;mes r & eacute;currents. Un r & eacute;sum & eacute; narratif des th & egrave;mes les plus percutants a & eacute;t & eacute; pr & eacute;sent & eacute;.R & eacute;sultatsVingt participants ont & eacute;t & eacute; interrog & eacute;s. La plupart des participants estimaient que les possibilit & eacute;s de carri & egrave;re & eacute;taient attribuables au hasard, & agrave; des comp & eacute;tences personnelles ou & agrave; une formation suppl & eacute;mentaire. Les participants ont soulign & eacute; l'importance du mentorat et du parrainage. Les attentes en mati & egrave;re de genre et les r & ocirc;les traditionnels de genre ont & eacute;t & eacute; per & ccedil;us comme ayant un impact n & eacute;gatif sur le succ & egrave;s de leadership de carri & egrave;re. Les participants ont reconnu la n & eacute;cessit & eacute; pour les femmes dirigeantes de permettre aux jeunes g & eacute;n & eacute;rations de femmes de devenir des leaders. Pour les futurs dirigeants en m & eacute;decine d'urgence, les participants ont sugg & eacute;r & eacute; de postuler t & ocirc;t pour des postes de leadership, de r & eacute;seauter et de chercher du mentorat. Parmi les changements favorables possibles aux structures de direction, mentionnons des politiques de cong & eacute; parental explicites, des horaires souples et le partage d'emploi pour encourager les dirigeantes.Conclusion & Agrave; ce jour, aucune & eacute;tude canadienne n'a explor & eacute; les facteurs qui contribuent au succ & egrave;s des femmes chefs de file en m & eacute;decine d'urgence. Cette & eacute;tude examine l'avancement professionnel des femmes chefs de file en m & eacute;decine d'urgence et fournit des renseignements utiles aux personnes qui aspirent & agrave; faire progresser leur carri & egrave;re, ainsi qu'aux mentors et aux parrains des femmes en m & eacute;decine d'urgence.
