08/26/2026
There are many pressures that can make a career in medicine difficult to sustain — burnout, prior authorization, regulatory requirements and demanding workloads.
Women in surgery can face additional challenges, including gender bias, fewer opportunities for mentorship and advancement and the disproportionate career impact of caregiving.
The impact is significant: women in vascular surgery are more than twice as likely to leave practice as their male colleagues. Across medicine, women who leave clinical practice do so at a median age of 49, compared with 64 for men.
At a time when vascular surgery is already facing a significant workforce shortage, losing experienced women from the field is a loss our specialty, and our patients, cannot afford.
Supporting women in vascular surgery means investing in mentorship, education and leadership development; improving pregnancy, parental leave and return-to-work policies; and being the kind of colleague who helps others access those opportunities and resources.
🤝 Who has supported, mentored or inspired you in your career? Tag them below or share a story in the comments.
