Female surgical trainees seem to receive fewer awards than men in the US, despite the increasing numbers of women in these programs, according to research by a group of surgery professors.

The degree of disparity differs by the type of award and the evaluation process, which could open up several areas for improvement, the authors write in JAMA Surgery.

“I believe our findings reflect unconscious bias against female surgeons that requires deliberate conversation, awareness and action,” said senior author Dr Nancy Cho, the associate clerkship director for the surgery rotation at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Previous studies of gender disparities in medicine have found differences in academic rank, compensation, research funding and leadership representation in journal editorial boards, specialty medical societies, medical schools and health systems.