Autistic surgeons: Investigations into their lived experiences and career pathways

Authors

Abstract

Electronic supplementary material for C. Vaughan Bowen’s Master’s thesis. Very little is known about real-life autistic doctors. The purpose of this study was to collect and examine the full extent of the literature to address the question “What has been written about real-life autistic physicians?” and to answer secondary questions of “What is the prevalence of autistic physicians?”, “What type of medicine do they practice?”, and “What are their strengths, challenges and needs?” A methodologically broad and rigorous search of documents posted or published from August 1994 to December 2024 yielded a very heterogenous collection of documents. Four categories of documents were published, with a surge starting in 2019: personal stories and disclosures (n = 32), commentaries and opinions (n = 72), internet forum threads (n = 29), and research studies (n = 9). Autistic physicians make up 1%, or more, of the medical workforce. Most are general practitioners (31%), then psychiatrists (18%), then anaesthetists (11%). They are good physicians with hyperfocus, attention to detail, excellent recall, creative problem-solving ability, enhanced pattern recognition, strong work ethic, self motivation and empathy. They also have challenges. They are misunderstood and misunderstand others. They need to make personal adjustments and to ask others for accommodations. Many are still undiagnosed but those, who recognise their autism, prefer to see neurodiversity as a difference rather than a deficit. They need support to flourish in practice. Despite increasing awareness, however, prejudice, discrimination and stigmatisation are still barriers for autistic physicians. These can have far reaching repercussions to careers and personal well-being, sometimes with significant mental health consequences.

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