Twelve tips to promote gender equity in international academic medicine

Abstract

Gender inequity in academic medicine remains an important issue worldwide, with more female faculty entering academic medicine internationally. Some academic institutions have initiated programs and created policies to promote gender equity, but disparities remain in faculty numbers, promotions rates, research productivity and access to funding and resources. We offer 12 tips for best practices in the broad domains of faculty recruitment, retention and scholarship, promotion and leadership that institutions and individual faculty can adopt to promote gender equity. While the 12 tips form a comprehensive approach, each tip can be implemented individually depending on institutional needs and culture. Each tip includes practical advice for implementation supported by a successful example from the literature.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Halah Ibrahim, MD, MEHP, is Executive Director of Health and Wellness at New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Dora J. Stadler, MD, is an Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar.

Dr. Sophia Archuleta, MD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and Head, Division of Infectious Diseases, National University Hospital, Singapore.

Dr. Joseph Cofrancesco Jr, MD, MPH, is an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, and Director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Excellence in Education, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.