Alexandria, VA, USA – A Symposium seeking to address the lack of women surgeons and scientists in the oral and craniofacial health space was presented at the 102nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA.
Women only comprise 8% of currently practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS). In the recent years, there has been a slight increase in the number of female applicants; however, women still only make up 22% of OMFS residents in training. This disparity is striking when considering the fact that approximately 56% of all U.S. dental students are women. Multiple cross-sectional studies have been performed to identify specific barriers faced by women pursuing OMFS, which contribute to a sharp drop out in women between dental school and residency. In parallel to this gender disparity in OMFS is the gender disparity in dental research.
Data on gender demographics of NIDCR’s extramurally funded researchers indicate that while women are just as likely as men to apply for training grants, that the gender gap widens in later career stages, with a significant decrease in the proportion of female researchers applying for R01 equivalent grants. While the likelihood of funding is equivalent between the men and women, the fact remains that there are significant barriers to women developing long-term, sustainable careers in dental and craniofacial research. This symposium featured a group of early-, mid-, and late-career women oral maxillofacial surgeons, scientists, and surgeon scientists, to discuss their own experience, and develop specific strategies to address the “leaky pipeline” of training women surgeons and scientists in oral and craniofacial sciences. Geared towards clinicians and researchers alike, the symposium targeted dental students, post-graduate students, dentists, dentist-scientists, and scientists wishing to dive deeper into the current barriers facing women in science and surgery.
Organized by Mary Farach-Carson, Lauren Hum, and Justine Moe, the Symposium, “Women in Surgery and Science: Strategies to Promote Gender Equality” took place on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 2 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6).
About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
About AADOCR
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. AADOCR is the largest division of IADR. Learn more at www.aadocr.org.