The Stubborn Gender Pay Gap in Academic Medicine

A new study led by Eva Catenaccio of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia finds that women starting out their careers in academic medicine are paid less than men in almost all areas of medicine.

The study of 54 479 academic physicians found that women had lower starting salaries in 42 of 45 subspecialties, lower mean annual salary growth rates in 22 of 45 subspecialties, and lower 10-year earning potential in 43 of 45 subspecialties.

The authors conclude that “gender-based disparities in starting salary and early career earning potential are pervasive in academic medicine in the United States. Equalizing starting salaries would address the majority of the differences in earning potential.”

The authors also recommend that women in academic medicine should receive training in financial literacy and negotiation skills. But they assert that “the onus for ensuring salary equity should not fall on the individual candidate alone; rather, departmental and hospital leadership should take responsibility to ensure uniform starting salaries and prevent gender-based inequalities.”

The full study, “Addressing Gender-Based Disparities in Earning Potential in Academic Medicine,” was published on JAMA Open Network. It may be accessed here.