**3. Women as surgeons**

Existing research shows that there is a significant gender inequity in surgery [6] despite demonstrating that women are equally successful in their surgical residency training [7], and that operative performance and outcomes are not significantly different between men and women surgeons [7, 8]. Moreover, there is an increasing amount of evidence strongly suggesting that physician diversity benefits both the clinical team and patients [9, 10]. There are also important differences between men and women in regards to patient and team communication; research suggests that patients feel female surgeons are more likely to explain things with improved understanding, listen carefully, and spend sufficient time with them when compared to male surgical providers [11]. Despite such well-documented findings, gender disparity and biases continue within the surgical field. In the subsequent sections, we will explore some of the manifestations of gender disparities and bias, from subtle to overt, with a focus on potential actionable solutions and improvements.
