Women in Neurosurgery: First Neurosurgeon in Latin America and Current Mexican Leaders.
First female neurosurgeon
History
Latin American neurosurgery
Mexican neurosurgery
Journal
World neurosurgery
ISSN: 1878-8769
Titre abrégé: World Neurosurg
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101528275
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
06 2021
06 2021
Historique:
received:
20
01
2021
revised:
19
03
2021
accepted:
20
03
2021
pubmed:
31
3
2021
medline:
31
7
2021
entrez:
30
3
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
History has taught us that Mexican culture has been largely supported by women, despite gender prejudice from the society. Neurosurgery has not been the exception. Therefore, we investigated the challenges and influence of female neurosurgeons in Mexico. We conducted a review of the literature and an analysis of the internal database of the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery focusing on 3 topics: 1) the historical presence of women and gender inequality in Mexico; 2) the life and legacy of the woman who became the first neurosurgeon in Mexico and in Latin America; and 3) the participation of women in neurosurgery in the past 3 decades. In Latin America, the first woman in neurosurgery was María Cristina García-Sancho, who completed her neurosurgical training in 1951. Currently, women represent 6.2% of the total members of the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery (MSNS). This percentage is still low, although data collected in this study suggest that it might increase in the next few years because 16.7% of Board Directors of the MSNS are women, the next elected president is a female neurosurgeon, and 14.5% of neurosurgery residents are women. Although a steady increase has occurred of women in neurosurgery in Mexico, there is still work to do, especially to overcome the barriers related to the old assumptions of the cultural and social roles of women.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
History has taught us that Mexican culture has been largely supported by women, despite gender prejudice from the society. Neurosurgery has not been the exception. Therefore, we investigated the challenges and influence of female neurosurgeons in Mexico.
METHODS
We conducted a review of the literature and an analysis of the internal database of the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery focusing on 3 topics: 1) the historical presence of women and gender inequality in Mexico; 2) the life and legacy of the woman who became the first neurosurgeon in Mexico and in Latin America; and 3) the participation of women in neurosurgery in the past 3 decades.
RESULTS
In Latin America, the first woman in neurosurgery was María Cristina García-Sancho, who completed her neurosurgical training in 1951. Currently, women represent 6.2% of the total members of the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery (MSNS). This percentage is still low, although data collected in this study suggest that it might increase in the next few years because 16.7% of Board Directors of the MSNS are women, the next elected president is a female neurosurgeon, and 14.5% of neurosurgery residents are women.
CONCLUSIONS
Although a steady increase has occurred of women in neurosurgery in Mexico, there is still work to do, especially to overcome the barriers related to the old assumptions of the cultural and social roles of women.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33781943
pii: S1878-8750(21)00472-1
doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.03.102
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
114-120Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.