The 1st FELS Research Day, focused on "Enhancing Excellence in Research," highlighted the issue of the "leaky pipeline" in Life Sciences and Medicine.
Dr.Jeanne Moor shared insights on the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles among Swiss physicians:
- While 60.1% of medical residents are women, only 18% reach Chief of Service positions.
- During medical studies, women and men similarly aimed for a leading position, but afterwards, men were more likely to do so.
- Women often face discrimination, including negative perceptions about pregnancy and motherhood, and struggle with balancing work and family life, a challenge more common in medicine compared to other sectors.
The panel discussion titled «How Can We Fix the Leaky Pipeline?» explored strategies to enhance inclusivity in medical science and leadership. To kick off the panel discussion, Daniëlle Verschoor presented key findings from the DCR’s Career Paths Post-Habilitation project. The study included individuals who completed their habilitation at the medical faculty since 2013. Her presentation highlighted trends in current academic and clinical roles, the role of mentorship in career development, and patterns of career interruptions.
The session featured a distinguished group of experts, including Prof. Britta Engelhardt, Prof. Karolina Kublickiene, Prof. Heike Mayer, Prof. Stuart Lane, and Prof. Urs Fischer.
Key takeaways included:
1. Shifting Perspectives: Careers can begin after 40. Instead of viewing career gaps (especially for women due to family) as obstacles, focus on the systems and structures we create that hinder progress.
2. Overcoming Traditions: The academic system remains conservative and needs to become more flexible and supportive.
3. Publication and Time: The current academic system often rewards those with more time, but this favors individuals with fewer (family) responsibilities, creating an imbalance that needs to be addressed. As a good example, the SNSF moves forward with the DORA Declaration.
4. Clinician Challenges: Clinicians face difficulties balancing clinical and academic work. Offering protected research time could help.
5. Parental Leave: Switzerland's policies need to evolve to be more like those in Nordic countries, supporting parents and making institutions more competitive.👶🍼
6. Women and Family Choices: Societal pressure often forces women to choose between career and family.
The main takeaway is that structural and cultural changes in academia, healthcare, and society are needed to support both career growth and family life.
