Gender differences in perceptions and attitudes of medical students towards neurosurgery: a german nationwide survey

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in gender equity, the paucity of women neurosurgeons remains. In Germany, women accounted for only 24% of the specialists who completed their neurosurgical training in 2019. We sought to explore the perceptions of medical students in Germany towards a neurosurgical career, focusing on gender-specific differences. METHODS: A digital 26-item questionnaire with a Likert 4-point scale and open-ended questions was distributed to the German Medical School student bodies. Data was analyzed to determine statistically significant intra-group variability between women and men. RESULTS: 210 medical students participated in the survey. Women and men were equally interested in brain pathologies (38% vs. 47%, strongly agreed), whereas interest in neurosurgery was significantly greater in men (12% vs. 26%, strongly agreed). Men were less likely to believe that women neurosurgery residents would face inequality at work. They were also less likely to support a gender quota in neurosurgery. Yet, both women and men were convinced that a rise in the number of women would positively impact the field. No gender-dependency was seen in students' strive for success and prestige. Men felt discouraged from pursuing neurosurgery because they feared an unpleasant work environment whereas women were concerned about neurosurgery not being family-friendly. Regardless of gender, the greatest factor deterring students from neurosurgery was poor work-life balance. CONCLUSION: Awareness must be raised concerning gender inequity and discrimination in our specialty. A multifaceted approach is imperative to develop neurosurgery into a profession where gender no longer hinders access to training and success in the field