The Gender Gap in Medical School Faculty Ranks

Data from the American Association of Medical Colleges shows that in 2016 there were 65,888 women faculty members at U.S. medical schools. There were 100,318 male faculty members. Thus, women made up 39.6 percent of all medical school faculty.

The gender gap in medical school faculty widens as we examine data for the highest-ranking faculty at U.S. medical schools. In 2016, there were 8,266 women full professors at U.S. medical schools compared to 27,988 men. Thus, women were 22.8 percent of all full professors.

There were 11,856 women who held the rank of associate professor. There were 21,366 men who were associate professors at medical schools. Therefore, women were 35.7 percent of all associate professors. Women were 45 percent of all assistant professors at U.S. medical schools in 2016.

The one exception to the gender gap favoring men in medical school faculties was for African Americans. In 2016, there were 2,835 Black women on medical school faculties compared to 2,239 Black men. But Black men still outnumbered Black woman as full professors by a margin of 379 to 200.