"I believe that women may have a few more cards to play" - An interview with Piera Capranzano
We asked Dr Capranzano what she thought about women in interventional cardiology. She agreed to give a straight answer.
Over time, prejudices at work will inevitably dissolve and the speed at which this will happen also depends on all of us.
Why are there still so relatively few women interventional cardiologists?
In my opinion, pregnancy, family priorities and radiation exposure are the most important factors preventing women from choosing interventional cardiology.
However, prejudices on our lower predisposition for manual activities, or the belief that we have less resistance to fatigue or stressful conditions, are also among factors limiting opportunities for women.
Do you think that working conditions (e.g. exposure to radiation) may be an impediment on women embarking on this career path?
Piera Capranzano
Radiation exposure is still a concern for women. However, in my opinion, radiation exposure can now be a more controlled issue. In this regard, it is important to provide correct information on the topic and to implement programs focusing on radiation protection.
Moreover, the improvement of working conditions should include the implementation of services to support women's family in order to remove a potential barrier for women embarking on some career paths.
What made you choose this specialty?
Often the choice of a cardiology subspecialty is influenced by the environment in which the training takes place.
In my case, I was influenced by the very favourable environment of the place where I was training. I met colleagues who were very willing to teach and to collaborate. But, unfortunately, this is still not the case everywhere.
What is the main obstacle you have encountered to become an interventional cardiologist? How did you manage to overcome this?
Personally, I did not encounter specific obstacles, but probably I would have had more challenges with a different family load.
For sure, my profession has influenced somehow my personal life choices. Probably, more targeted training programs would help conciliate more work and non-professional life.
From your point of view, what are the main assets you may have as a woman, compared with your male colleagues?
Certainly, an enhanced tendency to empathize with the patient and to understand his/her needs that goes beyond the simple delivery of the invasive procedure.
Furthermore, there is still the prejudice that women are less inclined than men in manual activities, while, especially for precision work, I believe that women may have a few more cards to play.
Do you feel your patients have a different attitude to you because you are a woman?
No, and I feel I easily convey the safeness and trust that patients request. However, patients still often expect to find a man to “operate” and are surprised when they meet a very competent woman.
Do you feel your colleagues treat you differently because you are a woman?
I don’t think so. Working relationships are built day after day with collaboration, trust and dedication to work. Sometimes, due to the different ways of approaching problems, tensions can arise, but these are resolved with dialogue and understanding.
Over time, prejudices at work will inevitably dissolve and the speed at which this will happen also depends on all of us.
What advice can you provide to young women fellows wishing to pursue a career in interventional cardiology?
Interventional cardiologists are still mostly men. Paraphrasing Christiane Collange, women, who represent a minority in this environment, often have to prove that they are better in order to have the right to be equally recognized.
So, the advice to young colleagues is to take this challenge as an opportunity to give their best possible to make the environment more favourable and to become better.
