title: Does Sex Influence Publication Productivity Among Colorectal Surgeons Participating in Fellowship Training Programs?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Underrepresentation of highly ranked women in academic surgery is recognized.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to examine whether sex differences exist in faculty representation, academic rank, and publication productivity among colorectal faculty in fellowship programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons fellowship program faculty were identified. Bibliometric data were obtained for each faculty member, including Hirsch index, the Hirsch index divided by research career duration, and number of publications. Linear mixed-effect regression models were constructed to determine the association between the Hirsch index and the Hirsch index divided by research career duration and sex, when controlling for institutional measures. A subset analysis of academic faculty examined the association between academic rank, sex, and Hirsch index and the Hirsch index divided by research career duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Colorectal fellowship programs, defined as academic, satellite-academic, and nonacademic, were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred fifty-eight faculty members were examined across 55 training programs; 22% (n = 77) were women and 78% (n = 281) were men. Sixty-one percent (n = 220) practiced in an academic setting, 23% (n = 84) in a satellite-academic setting, and 15% (n = 54) in a nonacademic setting. There was no difference in median number of publications between sexes (15 vs 10, p = 0.33); men, however, had longer careers (18 vs 11 years, p < 0.001). When controlling for confounders, there was no difference in the Hirsch index (p = 0.42) or the Hirsch index divided by research career duration (p = 0.73) between sexes. Academic rank was significantly associated with Hirsch index and the Hirsch index divided by research career duration (p < 0.001) after controlling for sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our assessment of association between publication productivity and academic rank was only possible in the subset of academic faculty. In addition, this study is limited by its retrospective nature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no difference in median number of publications between men and women. When controlling for possible confounders, sex was not a significant predictor of a faculty member's publication productivity, as measured by the Hirsch index or the Hirsch index divided by research career duration; academic rank, however, was.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 2 OHSU/PSU School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 3 Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 4 Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Cristina B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Geltzeiler
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srikanth
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Deveney
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diamond
authors.forename: Charles R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Brintha K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Enestvedt
authors.forename: Vassiliki L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Tsikitis
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D002321:Career Choice; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States