{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T16:03:46Z","timestamp":1790697826105,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790640000000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The Women in General Thoracic Surgery (WGTS) Academy, organized by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), supports early and mid-career women thoracic surgeons through mentorship, leadership development, and clinical immersions in a gender-equitable environment.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a prospective cross-sectional survey-based evaluation of all fellows participating in the WGTS Academy between 2023 and 2025. The survey addressed the value of face-to-face meetings, simulation training, and clinical immersions, as well as professional connections, challenges faced, and suggestions for future improvements.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Twenty-nine women Academy fellows were invited, and 24 completed the survey (82.8%). Thirteen participants (54.2%) worked in academic or university hospitals. Face-to-face meetings during clinical immersions were highly valued (62.5% rating them 10\/10). Simulation training was considered valuable by 23 participants (95.8%). The most appreciated topics were mentorship, leadership, robotic surgery, gender-related discussions, and opportunities to interact with women leaders. Participants identified key benefits such as international networking, mentorship, professional development, emotional support, and friendships. Regarding clinical impact, 8 participants (33.3%) reported changes in their practice, and 11 (45.8%) planned to implement changes. Six participants (25.0%) had already assumed leadership roles, and seven participants (29.2%) were engaged in research. Overall, 23 participants (95.8%) would recommend the Academy, and 21 (87.5%) expressed willingness to participate in future activities.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The WGTS Academy was highly valued by participants, who reported perceived benefits related to mentorship, networking, leadership development, and clinical practice. Participants identified opportunities for further program development, particularly in hands-on training and research support.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/icvts\/ivag248","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T11:45:37Z","timestamp":1790682337000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Empowering women in thoracic surgery: findings from a cross-sectional survey of the ests women in general thoracic surgery academy survey"],"prefix":"10.1093","author":[{"given":"Melek","family":"A\u011fko\u00e7","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Erzurum City Hospital Department of Thoracic Surgery, , Erzurum,","place":["Turkey"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanna","family":"Tihanyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute of Oncology Budapest-Semmelweis University Department of Thoracic Surgery, , Budapest,","place":["Hungary"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Lo Torto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Humanitas Research Hospital Department of Thoracic Surgery, , Rozzano, Milan,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Sakowitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Massachusetts General Hospital Department of General Surgery, , Boston, Massachusetts"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mara B","family":"Antonoff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anderson Cancer Centre Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, MD , Houston, TX,","place":["United States of America"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nuria Novoa","family":"Valentin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Puerta de Hierro University Hospital Department of Thoracic Surgery, , Madrid,","place":["Spain"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paula Duarte","family":"D\u2019Ambrosio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidade de Sao Paulo, Hospital Clinicas de Sao Paulo Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculdade de Medicina, , S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo,","place":["Brazil"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabelle","family":"Opitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich Department of Thoracic Surgery, ,","place":["Switzerland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ren\u00e9 Horsleben","family":"Petersen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Copenhagen University Hospital Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, , Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen,","place":["Denmark"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giulia","family":"Veronesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute Department of Thoracic Surgery, , Milan,","place":["Italy"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Viola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Norwich University Hospital Department of Thoracic Surgery, Norfolk and , Norwich,","place":["UK"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sri","family":"Subramaniam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Affairs , Medtronic, Watford,","place":["United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cecilia","family":"Pompili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Hull Institute For Clinical and Applied Health Research, , Hull,","place":["UK"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]]},"container-title":["Interdisciplinary CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/icvts\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/icvts\/ivag248\/71465804\/ivag248.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"am","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/icvts\/advance-article-pdf\/doi\/10.1093\/icvts\/ivag248\/71465804\/ivag248.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T15:17:06Z","timestamp":1790695026000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/icvts\/advance-article\/doi\/10.1093\/icvts\/ivag248\/8845495"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/icvts\/ivag248","relation":{},"ISSN":["2753-670X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2753-670X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]]},"article-number":"ivag248"}}