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gender concordance.12,17 Our results would likely have been different had more patients been men. As the number of men having cosmetic surgery increases,1 male plastic surgeons may want to create website content and marketing materials to meet this rising demand.36 Of the 27% of patients who had a gender preference, 96% requested a female surgeon. However, given all the other factors patients consider in choosing a plastic surgeon,3-8 this factor likely plays a small role in patient choice. If it played a large role, we might expect female plastic surgeons to earn more than their male counterparts, but on average they earn less.37 Of the 27% who requested a specific surgeon, slightly more requested the male surgeon than requested the female, indicating that a preference for gender concordance may disappear when a patient feels confident in a plastic surgeon’s reputation. This study had several limitations: It was conducted within a single 100% aesthetic practice with few male patients; results may differ in a different demographic. Patient choice may also vary by other factors, such as geographic region, surgeon age, and surgeon ethnicity. Callers may have considered gender preference only after a choice was offered, and their level of conviction cannot be determined from this study, since it did not incorporate a graded metric, such as a Likert scale. Furthermore, this study didn’t ask patients to rank the importance of the surgeon’s gender relative to other factors, such as board certification, years of experience, physician demeanor, online reviews, and the method of referral, all of which are reported to be important in a patient’s choice.3-9,38-40 470 Aesthetic Surgery Journal 37(4) Additionally, while the number of patients interested in breast and body numbered nearly 100 or more, those interested in face and genital surgery were fewer. To compare patient gender preference according to areas of interest would require a larger study. Despite these limitations, this study is the first to investigate patient gender preference in the choice of plastic surgeon. The findings indicate that most patients have no gender preference, but if they do, most prefer a female doctor, which is consistent with similar studies done in other specialties, particularly among female patients. Within the field of plastic surgery, women comprise only 14% of plastic surgeons, but they make up 37% of current trainees.35 The results of this study indicate that female patients seeking gender concordance in their surgeons will welcome the increasing number of women entering plastic surgery. In a campaign to combat the stereotype that surgeons are men, female surgeons have posted photos of themselves on social media with the hashtags “#ILookLikeASurgeon”41,42 and “#ILookLikeAPlasticSurgeon.” Similarly, greater public visibility of women plastic surgeons’ faces and voices on behalf of professional societies may help potential patients, particularly women, find a connection with the specialty. On the other hand, as more men seek plastic surgery, plastic surgery organizations and individual plastic surgeons, particularly men, may consider offering more educational materials for the male patient. CONCLUSIONS In this study of 200 prospective aesthetic surgery patients, all of whom were women, some preferred a female doctor, very few preferred a male, and most patients had no preference. However, when patients requested a specific doctor, slightly more requested the male surgeon than the female surgeon, indicating that a surgeon’s reputation is far more important than his or her gender. Disclosures The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and publication of this article. Funding The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and publication of this article. The Leaky Pipeline of Women in Plastic Surgery: Embracing Diversity to Close the Gender Disparity Gap Teri N. Moak, MD; Phaedra E. Cress, BA ; Marissa Tenenbaum, MD; and Laurie A. Casas, MD Abstract The Balance for Better campaign theme of the 2019 International Women’s Day prompted a closer look at diversity within the plastic surgery specialty. Gender balance in the United States has improved through many organizational efforts and enactment of laws. Unfortunately, despite these endeavors, statistics show that men still enjoy greater financial and career success. Within the field of medicine, a similar trend has been observed. Although women constitute 50% of medical school graduates, the majority still enter fields outside of surgical subspecialties. In comparison to other surgical subspecialties, women are most represented in plastic surgery. Unfortunately, significant gender discrepancies remain in postgraduate practice including academic practice rank, societal board membership, invited speaker opportunities, and compensation, to name a few. The “leaky pipeline” of women describes the precipitous decline in the numbers of women at each step up the professional ladder. We explore the multifaceted nature of this phenomenon and highlight factors that contribute to limiting female growth within the plastic surgery profession. We also emphasize the continued growth of female plastic surgeon presence in all sectors despite these
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