Does Gender Bias Still Exist in Surgical Residency

By: Dr Swathy Elangovan, M.S General Surgery

It’s 2026, a time where the world is AI driven. Advancements and innovation drive people to more effective living. But it is a known fact that Surgeons can never be replaced by AI.

Thus the course of surgical training remains crucial in saving the lives of patients.

Both females and males residents have to be competently trained and given equal operating chances so that when they become an attending in the future, they would have the confidence to treat patients individually. The scalpel doesn’t know whether the operating surgeon is a female or a male .Then why the discrimination. One thing hasn’t changed.

The treatment against women in the field of medicine, specifically surgery, where buttering, flattery and fawning take an upper hand over sheer hard work, truthfulness and raw talent. You might be the best female out there in the course of training, but if you are not in good hands it’s just like a rusted Porsche in the hands of a person who doesn’t know how to drive.

If you are submissive, you are labelled good, but if you speak out you are opinionated and arrogant. Survival of the fittest is misinterpreted as yielding to workplace maltreatment, being catcalled, being grabbed of operating chances and labelling you as an ordinary one.

It’s sad to realize that with no big daddy, lavish hereditament, first generation female surgeons literally have to burn themselves to acquire spotlight, in their field of training. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up for oneself when you haven’t done anything wrong, but only are true to your profession. There has been a situation during my residency where I had to voice out against an attending who wasn’t professional. Initially there was chaos, but ultimately everyone had accepted the truth. The peculiarity of the surgical field is that, if you don’t get trained under the supervision of an attending with good skills, your learning phase is gone.

True talent doesn’t boast i.e some residents are very good at observing their attending operating. When given the chance they intricately exhibit the knots etc.

True talent is humble.

True talent is kind but strong.

True talent is knowledgeable.

True talent tries to learn everyday.

True talent doesn’t show off

True talent is calm, not chaotic.

True talent loves the subject.

True talent is respectful.

Sometimes, your profession and workplace might not recognize and nurture you to the best of your ability. Never-mind. Keep working hard, all your struggles will reap the fruit one day.

How long will they try to suppress us? Just like the calm before a storm, stay grounded as always until you make your biggest comeback. A true Surgeon is one who wants to make an impact in the lives of others, which includes his patients, subordinates, seniors and the public. On the contrary, in the contemporary world you are graded based on the number of cases you have operated, the sum in your bank account, not mindful of the struggles of your subordinates

The struggles which the female surgical residents face today, will be the lighting path to others who wish to pursue the field of surgery in the future.

Surveys have shown that male residents tend to have more OR chances than their female counterparts who equally work their assess off. Everything is temporary. Knowledge ,character and discipline will take you places than all these unworthy favoritism and politics.

Study hard. Train hard. All the best.

Let we all reap the fruits of labour.

The sun will rise again!!

Dr. Swathy Elangovan, M.S General Surgery

Hi, I am a General Surgeon from Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. I am a voracious reader. I love writing. Writing gives me peace. It helps me connect with other fellow surgeons who have high aspirations and dreams as mine. I have published many articles in medical and surgical journals. I have authored a poetry book called “Cocktail – Poems for your soul” which is available on Amazon. I wish to inspire women of the world to be fiercely independent, knowledgeable, healthy, wealthy.