Carrying Benefits of Virtual Forward

Virtual conferences were never intended as a solution to gender bias and gender inequity. These issues still remain and will be with us long after the pandemic unless deliberately addressed. Those of us hosting virtual conferences need to ask, “Do women truly have a seat at the virtual table?” by looking at variables such as the number of women speakers and women leading and chairing committees at our conferences, and ensuring that the content of the conference is inclusive.

One can argue whether virtual conferences truly benefit the professional development of women in our field. To do so, we would first need to investigate measures of leadership and contribution. However, there are other reasons to favor virtual meetings from home. The financial cost to individuals and departments for travel and conference attendance can be substantial, representing a barrier for those in our field who have less funding or persons with larger debt. The cost of travel also extends beyond the dollar sign. It’s time away from our daily lives, it’s jet lag, and it’s the inconvenience.

We are all looking forward to a time when we can be back together in person. Clearly, virtual conferences can’t replicate everything we value about conferences: side conversations, introductions, and escape from our usual habitat. For those of us presenting at a conference with a child on our lap, we might truly need the physical separation to actually be present. The pandemic has placed a unique and unbalanced strain on professional women with young children. Gender expectations, bias, and discrimination still need to be confronted head on. Yet, we have also witnessed the advantages of virtual options: increased inclusivity and feasibility for time at home as well as decreased cost, that benefit all of us.

I hope when the restrictions are lifted, we don’t default to our old habits. Instead, let’s take away some of the good and continue to work on areas that still need improvement to achieve equity in our field. Our mission should be to continue to create and advocate for options that allow more of us to participate in conferences and lead in our organizations.

Dr. Haber is director of clinical education and director of simulation in the department of emergency medicine at University Medical Center and assistant professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine.

References

1. Choo EK, Kass D, Westergaard M, et al. The development of best practice recommendations to support the hiring, recruitment, and advancement of women physicians in emergency medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 2016;23(11):1203-1209.
   
2. Bos AL, Sweet-Cushman J, Schneider MC. Family-friendly academic conferences: a missing link to fix the “leaky pipeline”? Polit Groups Identities. 2017;7(3):748-758.
3. Kass D, Datta P, Goumeniouk NL, et al. Are children allowed? A survey of childcare and family policies at academic medical conferences Acad Emerg Med. 2019;26(3):339-341.