Due to strongly ingrained gender biases in society, both patients and medical peers hold strong misconceptions that women are not as competent surgeons as men.[1] This is exemplified by the old "surgeon riddle" which unveils strong gender stereotypes in medicine such that the majority of the population much more easily associate surgeons with being male than being female.[20] These stereotypes that society holds, about women being less competent surgeons than men, leads to a phenomenon called stereotype threat which Salles explored in her work.[21] Salles hypothesized that stereotype threat, the fear of affirming a negative stereotype about ones' group, causes women increased stress and leads to decreased performance in surgical residency.[21] Salles tested this hypothesis by implementing methods to combat stress and stereotype threat through value affirmations.[21]