Sex Disparities in Academic Productivity and Rank Among Abdominal Transplant Faculty in the United States

Background. The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in academic rank and productivity among members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons in the United States. Methods. Cross-sectional, focusing on current board -certified abdominal transplant surgeons in the United States. Demographic factors such as sex, region, and faculty rank were collected from institutional websites. Academic metrics, including H -index, total publications, and relative citation ratio, were collected from Scopus and iCite. Results. We identified 536 surgeon members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons with an academic institution. The majority were men (83%). Men were in practice longer than women (17.9 +/- 11 vs 11.7 +/- 9 years, P < .0001) and had higher academic metrics, including H -index (25.6 +/- 20 vs16.4 +/- 14, P < .0001) and total publications (110 +/- 145 vs 58.8 +/- 69, P < .0001). There was a significant difference in faculty appointments by sex (P < .05), with men showing evidence of increased academic advancement. After adjusting for academic rank, PhD status, and location of medical school and residency, women remained associated with a lower H -index on multivariate analysis (P < .01). Conclusion. Sex disparities in academic rank and achievement are present among transplant surgical faculty in the United States, and future efforts are needed to promote sex equity in transplant surgery academia.