Abstract: SA-PO0964
Persistent Gender Disparities in Nephrology Division Leadership in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Study
Session Information
- Diversity and Equity in Kidney Health
October 24, 2026 | Location: Exhibit Hall A, Convention Center
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Diversity and Equity in Kidney Health
- 900 Diversity and Equity in Kidney Health
Authors
- Begum, Farhana, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States
- Hochen, Christine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, United States
- Sachdeva, Mala, Northwell Health, New Hyde Park, New York, United States
- Husain, Syed Ali, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, United States
Background
Women remain underrepresented in leadership positions in academic medicine. We conducted a cross-sectional study of U.S nephrology division chiefs to quantify the number of female chiefs and to compare their professional qualifications to male division chiefs.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study using publicly available data. Accredited adult nephrology fellowship programs in the United States (n=150) were identified through ACGME data. Division chiefs and their biographical characteristics, including medical school attended, year of fellowship completion, and year of appointment, were obtained from publicly available sources including division website, Doximity, LinkedIn. Academic metrics at the time of appointment—including years since fellowship completion, publication count, citation count, H-index, and NIH grant funding were obtained from Scopus and NIH RePORTER. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the proportion of female division chiefs and compare qualifications between female and male division chiefs using median (IQR) at the time of appointment.
Results
Of 150 nephrology divisions, 123 division chiefs had available data. Among these 30 (24%) were women. Female division chiefs were more likely to be U.S. medical graduates. They were also found to have numerically higher publication counts, citation counts, and h-index values compared with male division chiefs; although these differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusion
Women remain underrepresented among nephrology division chiefs, yet female division chiefs demonstrated academic metrics comparable to or exceeding those of their male counterparts at the time of appointment. Although limited by sample size, these findings underscore the need to better understand and address barriers to leadership advancement in nephrology.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the Dr. Li-Li Hsiao Leadership Fellowship grant awarded by Women in Nephrology (WIN).
Table 1
Funding
- Private Foundation Support