LAUSR

Introduction Only 9.9% of practicing urologists in the United State are women. This percentage is even smaller in leadership positions and high-ranking appointments. Endourology is one of the least reported fellowships completed by women urologists. We sought to evaluate how endourologists perceived the climate for women physicians and compare perceptions and experiences of gender equity. Methods An IRB approved and validated survey, Culture Conducive to Women's Academic Success questionnaire (CCWAS) was sent out to the Endourological Society listserve. Subcategories of equal access, work-life balance, freedom of gender bias, and leadership support were analyzed. An open comment section was provided for respondents to include their own experiences. Wilcoxon Rank-Sum and Kruskal-Wallace tests were used to compare CCWAS scores between groups. Results A total of 104 completed surveys were received. Response rate was 7% (104/1492), 26.9% of which were female. There was a statistically significant difference between male and female respondent CCWAS scores; P <0.05. The male CCWAS score median was 196.0 (interquartile range 176.75-214.0) vs female CCWAS score median of 166.5 (interquartile range 127.5-210.0). There was no significant difference in CCWAS scores based on years in practice, parental status, or academic versus private practice. Discussion In this study, male endourologists' perceptions of gender equity were incongruent with the reported experiences of their female colleagues. Indicating male respondents perceive the culture in their department towards women more positively than their female colleagues. This is suggestive that there are gender-based differences in how gender inequities are perceived, and potentially experienced.