Women comprise only 18 percent of practicing U.S. gastroenterologists, and a new survey found that many have a hard time finding mentors.
A voluntary web-based survey, published by the American Journal of Gastroenterology, was distributed to physicians at 20 academic institutions across the United States and 334 physicians responded to the survey.
Here are four stats to know:
1. Forty-four percent of women said they experience difficulty finding a mentor, compared to 28 percent of men.
2. Forty percent of women said they experience pressure to serve as a mentor because of their gender.
3. Sixty-percent of women and 68 percent of men said a mentor helped them learn endoscopic skills.
4. Thirty-seven percent of women said they prefer a mentor of the same gender, compared to 19 percent of men.