Welcome to Heart Rhythm Society's Women in Electrophysiology

Welcome to Heart Rhythm Society’s Women in Electrophysiology (EP) section! Building a community of women in EP who can provide support and mentorship to enhance professional advancement is an important aim for HRS and the HRS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council.

Why do women in EP warrant this initiative? Women make up only ***% (n=***) of HRS physician members, 10.1% (n=266) of active EP physicians in the United States in 2021,¹ and 5% (n=187) of EP operators of Medicare procedures.² Not only is the proportion of women in EP the lowest among all cardiology subspecialties and comparable to surgical subspecialities, but simply put, the absolute number of women in EP (n=266) is the lowest of any specialty in medicine including orthopedics (n=1090), urology (n=1003), neurosurgery (n=551), and cardiothoracic surgery (369).1 These numbers are a call to action — improving the representation of women in EP must be a critical priority for our field.

Several resources designed specifically for women in EP are available, many of which I have personally participated in and benefitted from —

• Leadership programs
  • HRS Growth and Leadership Opportunity for Women in Electrophysiology
• Clinical meetings
  • Abbott Women in EP Arrhythmia Symposium
  • Medtronic Women in Electrophysiology Program
• Research
  • Heart Rhythm Highest Scoring Abstract Award for Women in EP
  • Abbott Women in EP Poster Presentation and Engagement
• Networking
  • Heart Rhythm Women in EP Luncheon

Research to better understand barriers to women pursuing careers in EP is an important future initiative that we as a Council plan to pursue. Addressing these deterrents can in turn inform new policies and practices to improve EP training programs and institutions and make our subspecialty more attractive for women. We hope that the new chat forum below will also serve as a vehicle for sharing ideas and connecting with other women in EP.

I hope that current and future women in EP find that the HRS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is an enthusiastic and tireless leader for new research, policies, programs, and opportunities to make our field one that is attractive and fulfilling for women. We are optimistic that this group is a starting point for creating a more diverse and supportive EP workforce.

¹ https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/workforce/data/active-physicians-sex-specialty-2021
² Howell SJ, Simpson T, Atkinson T, Pellegrini CN, Nazer B. Temporal and geographical trends in women operators of electrophysiology procedures in the United States. Heart Rhythm. 2022 May;19(5):807-811. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.02.015.