Family and neurosurgery - a balancing act between vocation and responsibility
- 1Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
- 2Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
Abstract
Introduction: Reconciling a career in neurosurgery with caregiving responsibilities can present major challenges. While recent scientific work has increasingly focused on the disadvantages faced by women, less attention has been paid to the experiences of men who engage in caregiving in an increasing proportion. The potential tension between the role of a man taking over with caring and that of a neurosurgeon remains largely unexplored.
Research question: The aim of our survey is to shed more light on the perceived disadvantages faced by neurosurgeons of both genders in balancing childcare with career advancement.
Material and methods: We conducted a Germany-wide, 33-question online survey focusing on discrimination and burden due to “caring” in a neurosurgical career.
Results: In total, 272 individuals responded to the survey. The male to female ratio was 173/98 (p < 0.001). Inappropriate comments on caring were perceived by 49.78% of respondents, with women being significantly more frequently affected (67.0% vs 39.4%, p < 0.001). During job interviews, 28.63% were asked about family planning with women being affected more often (40.9% vs. 21.4%, p < 0.001). On a satisfaction scale of 0-100 (0 = negative, 100 = positive), experienced disadvantages due to caring were rated at 48.1, management flexibility at 52.4, team flexibility at 61.2, and actual working conditions at 31.4.
Discussion and conclusion: According to our data, a significant proportion of men are also affected by discrimination due to “caring,” even though women still appear to be affected to a greater extent. Working conditions are perceived as the worst factor for balancing caregiving and work.
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BibTeX
@article{hautmann2026family,
title = {{Family and neurosurgery - a balancing act between vocation and responsibility}},
author = {Xenia Hautmann and Esther Neufeld and Nadine Lilla and Felix Behling and Dorothee Mielke and Peter Baumgarten},
journal = {Brain \& Spine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.bas.2026.107489},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bas.2026.107489},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Family and neurosurgery - a balancing act between vocation and responsibility
AU - Xenia Hautmann
AU - Esther Neufeld
AU - Nadine Lilla
AU - Felix Behling
AU - Dorothee Mielke
AU - Peter Baumgarten
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Brain & Spine
DO - 10.1016/j.bas.2026.107489
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bas.2026.107489
AB - Introduction: Reconciling a career in neurosurgery with caregiving responsibilities can present major challenges. While recent scientific work has increasingly focused on the disadvantages faced by women, less attention has been paid to the experiences of men who engage in caregiving in an increasing proportion. The potential tension between the role of a man taking over with caring and that of a neurosurgeon remains largely unexplored. Research question: The aim of our survey is to shed more light on the perceived disadvantages faced by neurosurgeons of both genders in balancing childcare with career advancement. Material and methods: We conducted a Germany-wide, 33-question online survey focusing on discrimination and burden due to “caring” in a neurosurgical career. Results: In total, 272 individuals responded to the survey. The male to female ratio was 173/98 (p < 0.001). Inappropriate comments on caring were perceived by 49.78% of respondents, with women being significantly more frequently affected (67.0% vs 39.4%, p < 0.001). During job interviews, 28.63% were asked about family planning with women being affected more often (40.9% vs. 21.4%, p < 0.001). On a satisfaction scale of 0-100 (0 = negative, 100 = positive), experienced disadvantages due to caring were rated at 48.1, management flexibility at 52.4, team flexibility at 61.2, and actual working conditions at 31.4. Discussion and conclusion: According to our data, a significant proportion of men are also affected by discrimination due to “caring,” even though women still appear to be affected to a greater extent. Working conditions are perceived as the worst factor for balancing caregiving and work.
SN - 2772-5294
ER -