1001Cuts

Website: www.1001cuts.org

Screening Information: Coming soon!

The foundation of this film is to raise awareness and bring social justice to a diverse patient population in need of surgical care in the United States. Although women have made up half of medical students since 2003, gender-based workplace discrimination and harassment for physicians continues. Described in detail in a recent report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine nearly half of women medical students have experienced sexual harassment before even graduating from medical school. These demeaning and life-changing experiences continue for women physicians as they advance in their careers. The operating room remains the epicenter of toxic masculine behavior within the healthcare system. With increasing numbers of women choosing surgical specialties, this culture is in need of change. Bullying, harassment and microaggressions are part of the day-to-day existence of women working in the operating room. Ultimately this environment impacts the delivery of care, as high-quality surgery requires a well-functioning team.

1001 cuts explores the toxic culture experienced by women surgeons from a variety of surgical specialties and diverse backgrounds, challenging the cultural stereotype of the surgeon as an older white male. Told through interviews, 1001 Cuts uses personal narratives to highlight issues specific to women surgeons while underscoring themes common to the #MeToo movement. The women in 1001 cuts offer solutions and provide inspiration to the next generation of women surgeons. The film will be designed to be used as an educational tool for medical students, nursing and other health care professions by organizations seeking to create an equitable workplace environment.

The increasing diversity within surgical professional spaces requires new definitions of professionalism. Recent attention to the bias, discrimination and harassment experienced by women physicians and surgeons in the workplace has not yet led to meaningful changes. This film is to be targeted towards a lay audience and an audience of learners interested in equity within healthcare workplaces. The film is expected to improve the workplace environment within the operating room for women and as a result improve surgical care for all by bringing attention to the barriers and challenges faced by women in the operating room environment.

Over and over, we have seen in healthcare that by improving the care for everyone we begin to lessen disparities. Women physicians outperform men in terms of communication styles, adherence to preventative medicine recommendations, surgical outcomes, and even mortality. Imagine if these women were provided an infrastructure geared towards allowing them to thrive – the health of our communities would improve.
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