title: Reflections on the mating pool for women in plastic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Almost three times as many board-certified female plastic surgeons are unmarried compared with male colleagues. The purpose of this study was to determine why women in plastic surgery are less likely to be married.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 52-question survey was sent to all female members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Questions focused on type of training and practice; marital status; age at marriage; spousal education, financial, and professional status; relational goals, values, and satisfaction. A total of 729 questionnaires were sent via e-mail; responses were anonymous.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response rate was 34 percent (n = 250). Respondents were either married (64 percent), engaged (2 percent), in a "serious" relationship (11 percent), or not in a committed relationship (23 percent). Of unmarried respondents, 56 percent wanted to marry, 44 percent did not wish marriage at the time of the survey, and 42 percent had deliberatively postponed marriage. The most frequently cited reasons for being single were perceived lack of desirable partners (45 percent), job constraints (14 percent), and personality differences (13 percent). Female plastic surgeons who married later than 36 years of age were more likely to choose a spouse with a lower income, less education, and lower financial success compared with female plastic surgeons who married at a younger age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women in surgical practice who marry later are less likely to find a partner with equal educational level, financial resources, and professional success. Hence, a shift occurs from hypergamy toward hypogamy. These findings are not unique to plastic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Boston, Mass. From the Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Emily B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauerhammer
authors.forename: A Portia
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: LaBrie
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mulliken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires