In this episode, Dr. Nicole Lamparello discusses the strides and challenges in achieving gender equity in interventional radiology (IR), sharing insights from her research on gender disparities in IR, and revealing how women currently comprise a significantly low percentage of the IR workforce compared to men despite equal numbers of male and female medical students. Dr. Lamparello is an interventional radiologist and serves as the Program Director for Weill Cornell Medicine’s Integrated IR Residency in New York City.

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SYNPOSIS

The doctors cover the importance of workplace culture with flexibility for family and maternity needs, mentorship, visibility of female leaders in IR, and strategies for attracting more women to the field. The conversation also touches on the impact of diverse IR professionals on patient outcomes, and how outsourcing personal tasks can help maintain work-life balance. The necessity of early exposure to IR for medical students and addressing specific hurdles for women in IR, such as work-life balance, radiation exposure fears, and lack of female role models are also explored.

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TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction

05:40 - Addressing Gender Disparity in IR

13:48 - Importance of Physician Workforce Diversity

18:31 - Challenges and Solutions for Gender Equity in IR

25:28 - Work-Life Balance

38:40 - Concluding Thoughts

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RESOURCES

The Gender Gap in Interventional Radiology: Barriers, Opportunities, and the Role of the Integrated IR Residency:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870809/

The IR Trainee Workforce 10 Years after Becoming a Primary Medical Specialty:

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(23)00651-6/fulltext

Lack of exposure and perceived occupational hazards as barriers to entry into IR for women: a survey of 143 female medical students:

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(16)31526-3/fulltext

Untapped Resources: Attaining Equitable Representation for Women in IR:

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(18)31645-2/fulltext

Gender and racial diversity among plenary session speakers at the Society of Abdominal Radiology Annual Meetings: a five-year assessment:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9226100/

Bridging the Gender Gap in the Society of IR: A Benchmark Study:

https://www.jvir.org/article/S1051-0443(18)31492-1/pdf