Women at the top: a qualitative study of women in leadership positions in emergency medicine in Canada

Objectives For the last two decades, more than half of Canadian medical students have been women, with an increasing number of medical trainees choosing emergency medicine as their careers. Despite a proportional increase of women in full-time faculty positions in emergency medicine, women are still underrepresented in leadership. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of women leaders in emergency medicine to identify common themes that may have contributed to their acquisition of leadership roles. Methods Participants included women emergency medicine physicians in Canada who currently or previously held a leadership position. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. Transcribed data were coded and categorized into recurrent themes. A narrative summary of the most impactful themes was presented. Results Twenty participants were interviewed. Most participants perceived career opportunities were due to chance, related to personal skill set, or required additional training. Participants highlighted the importance of mentorship and sponsorship. Gender expectations and traditional gender roles were perceived as having a negative impact on career leadership success. Participants acknowledged the need for women in leadership to empower younger generations of women to become leaders. For future emergency medicine leaders, participants suggested applying for leadership positions early, networking, and seeking mentorship. Potential supportive changes to leadership structures included explicit parental leave policies, flexible scheduling, and job sharing to encourage women leaders. Conclusion To date, there has been no Canadian specific study exploring the factors contributing to the success of women leaders in emergency medicine. This study examines career advancement of women leaders in emergency medicine and provides useful insight to those aspiring to grow their careers, as well as to mentors and sponsors of women in emergency medicine.