Heisler co-authors study on microaggressions in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Christine Heisler, MD, MS, associate professor and director of the Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, co-authored a new article published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Co-authors include Amy L. Godecker, PhD, MS, Deborah Verran, Michael S. Sinha, Jerome Byam, and Pringl Miller.

In “Workplace microaggressions: results of a survey of the American College of Surgeons members,” Heisler and co-authors evaluated the demographic and occupational characteristics of surgeons across a multi-organizational and gender-inclusive research sample in order to determine who experiences workplace microaggressions and if these experiences affect future decisions to pursue surgery.

The team found that:

“...surgical trainees who experienced higher levels of microaggressions were less likely to recommend their specialty and more likely to leave medicine or retire early. In fact, 23% of general surgery residents who identify as women leave training before graduation. Full-time physician faculty who are women are less likely to be promoted, less likely to hold leadership positions, and more likely to leave academic medicine than their male colleagues within 7 years.”

Read the whole article here.

**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Paige Stevenson

Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Publication Research