Beyond the Operating Room: Exploring Gender Bias in Leadership Positions in German Plastic Surgery

BackgroundDespite efforts to promote gender equity in medicine, gender disparities persist in various medical specialties, including plastic surgery. This study aimed to investigate the representation of female physicians in leadership positions in German plastic surgery departments.MethodsThis cross-sectional study collected data about the physician workforce in the German plastic surgery field. The primary outcome was the proportion of female physicians in plastic surgery departments. Data were collected from 94 departments. The physician workforce was stratified based on gender and leadership.ResultsWe included 812 physicians working in different German plastic surgery departments. Of those, 76.8% were in leadership positions, and 35.1% were women. There was a significant association between being male sex and holding a leadership position (n = 158/188, 84% versus n = 30/188, 16%, P