title: Women in Thoracic Surgery: 30 Years of History.
abstract: Women in Thoracic Surgery was founded in 1986, with 2016 marking its 30th anniversary. Reflecting back on the last 3 decades of history, accomplishments, and enormous strides in our field, we review the past, present, and future of this organization. Although women still constitute a small minority of practicing surgeons in our field today, opportunities currently abound for women in thoracic surgery. Owing much to the early female pioneers in the field and to the support of male sponsors and our national societies, Women in Thoracic Surgery has grown and prospered, as have its members and the global community of female thoracic surgeons as a whole. In celebration of our 30th anniversary, we share with the readership the rich history of Women in Thoracic Surgery and its goals for the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: mbantonoff@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Mara B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Antonoff
authors.affiliation: Section of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, and Heart Lung Vascular Center, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, California.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jessica S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Donington
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Yolonda L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Virginia R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Litle
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.affiliation: The Permanente Medical Group, TPMG Administration and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California (retired).
authors.forename: Nora L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Burgess
mesh_terms: D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000266:history*; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000266:history; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States