Suturing the gender gap through sponsorship: The role of sponsorship in female entry and advancement through their surgical careers.

BACKGROUND:Sponsorship promotes female entry and advancement through the surgical field, and can mitigate gender inequities that persist in the surgical field. METHODS:35 women in surgery, including 14 surgeons, 11 residents, and 10 fourth-year medical students, were interviewed from July 30, 2021 to August 18, 2021 at a single institution. RESULTS:All participants had provided or received sponsorship. Main themes included: (1) Evolving needs of sponsorship, (2) Decreased Access to Sponsorship as Career Level Advances, (3) Evolving importance of sponsorship, (4) Perceived limitations of receiving sponsorship, and (5) Perceived limitations of providing sponsorship. Faculty members most frequently reported barriers to both receiving and providing sponsorship. CONCLUSIONS:The lack of sponsorship for female faculty limits their ability to rise to organizational leadership, and consequently, their ability to sponsor others. Increasing access to sponsorship for female surgeons can help to bridge the gender gap in the surgical field.