Why Do So Few Women Pursue Cardiac Electrophysiology?

Despite increasing representation of women among U.S. physicians over the past decade, the percentage of female cardiology trainees selecting cardiology electrophysiology (EP) has remained consistently low. In a recent web-based survey, the American College of Cardiology investigated factors affecting trainees' decisions to pursue cardiovascular subspecialties.

Among the 933 fellows-in-training (FITs) who completed the survey (31% response rate), 14% expressed an interest in EP. In this group, comprising 84% men and 16% women, the top three factors identified as driving the decision to pursue EP were a strong interest in the field, opportunity to perform hands-on procedures, and an analytical process that goes into clinical decision making. …