TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa Bay surgeon who has pushed through barriers and stereotypes and achieved her own goals over the past 20 years has made it her mission to entice more women to follow a career in surgery.
As you follow Dr. Sharona Ross at Adventhealth Tampa from preparation into the operating room, her effortless demeanor is actually two decades of sacrifice, long hours and very hard work.
"I truly believe that women belong in surgery. I mean, we have an innate nature that is more nurturing, that is multitasking. That's what you need in surgery. It’s so rewarding for women,” she said. “We also know the literature shows that patients of women surgeons are more satisfied and have better outcomes.”
An article by the Journal of American Medical Associationfound that "patients treated by female surgeons have lower rates of adverse postoperative outcomes including death at 90 days and one year after surgery compared with those treated by male surgeons."
Her skills in the O.R. and behind the controls of the DaVinci Robotic Surgery System are impressive.
“We've come a long way. Whatever I'm trained to do during residency and fellowship is no longer what I do today,” Dr. Ross said.
And that’s what you want when it comes to medical care, right?
“If surgeons are not there to continue to grow, learn, and embrace technology—good technology that improves patients' outcomes—they shouldn't be practicing because what we do today is never going to be what we do in five years," she said.
But Dr. Ross would be the first to tell you she has dealt with stereotypes and scrutiny to get where she is.
“During my time, whenever I went to the next interview, I had to hide that I was pregnant or that I had kids at home because if they knew that, they wouldn’t invest in you,” she said.
Dr. Ross said the school of thought was women would drop out before they finished their residency or leave the field. But, a woman who can juggle family life and a career is an asset to her.
“That’s a strength. That’s not a weakness. If she can do it, that’s the person you want,” Dr. Ross said. “At the time, it wasn’t seen that way. We’ve come a long way. I had to work not just double as hard as the guys, but triple and quadruple as hard just to be seen as equal.”
That’s why she has actively worked to mentor young women to get them interested in becoming a surgeon.
Right now, about 50% of medical students are women but only a very small percentage will go into surgery. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2022, 35.7% of US physicians in surgical critical care were female.
Maria Christo Doulou and Tara Pattilachan work closely with Dr. Ross. Both are interested in a career in the O.R.
“I remember the first session after participating, I was like, not only can I do it, I will do it. I was ready to take over the world,” Doulou said. “I tell her that every time I see her, you make me believe in myself, and from now on, I know this is where I belong.”
“Look, I’m not looking to dominate the field, but I don’t want to be a minority in the field,” said Dr. Ross. “I want us to have equity, diversity, inclusivity in this field.”
Doulou said in her research and planning of the 2024 Women in Surgery Career Symposium she found many disparities that still exist in the industry.
“There’s not a word that describes a female surgeon. In fact, in France, a few years ago, they developed a word that is specifically tailored to represent female surgeons. In many other parts of the world, we haven’t made those drastic improvements yet, but I’m sure we will get there," Doulou said.
Not just that, but Pattilachan said it’s not uncommon in many other cultures for women to be told to stay home postpartum to take care of their kids for years rather than go to work and follow their career path. She said the symposium, which will bring about 600 women from all around the world together in Tampa for the weekend, is a chance to talk about ways to change that mentality.
“We have a global roundtable with surgeons from Ethiopia, France, India—we are really putting everyone at the same table and discussing what are these issues that surgeons are facing in these countries and what can we do together globally and collectively to put them together and find a solution,” she said. “Kind of like the Avengers round tables of superheroes. They are superheroes! I’m really excited to be a part of that.”
To learn more about the 2024 Women in Surgery Career Symposium, click here.
