It is well known that throughout the world, there is a lack of female representation in interventional cardiology. While 50% of medical school graduates in the United States are women, only 21% of cardiology fellowships are awarded to women, 13% go on to become practicing cardiologists and only 4.5% go on to perform coronary interventional procedures.

In a new issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), a survey conducted by the Italian Society of Interventional Cardiology guides an editorial that explores the potential barriers for women to explore careers in interventional cardiology including radiation exposure, work-life balance, access to childcare, and harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

The paper is authored by several members of the SCAI Women in Innovations program.