Persisting Inequality in Medical Field Highlighted in 2016
In the 21st century, gender equality in medicine is still a pipe dream. As we wind down the year, it's worth reflecting on the studies of 2016 that shine a light on the ever-persisting gender gap in this field.
From the medical school scene, women are well-represented, but their career progression, salary, and research output often fall short in comparison to their male counterparts. Several studies from this year investigated the gender disparities in research, work-life balance, and pay.
One such study was a survey of female cardiologists, conducted by Dr. Sandra Lewis and her colleagues. The survey, part of the Professional Life Survey at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session, revealed distinct differences between male and female cardiologists. For instance, fewer women were married, and fewer had children compared to men. When it came to childcare, this often fell on the shoulders of women, with more requiring additional care for on-calls and night shifts. Despite these challenges, both genders reported high levels of job satisfaction, but women continued to report slower career advancement compared to their peers.
Another eye-opening study by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital found a substantial pay gap of over $51,000 between male and female physicians. Even after adjusting factors like age, experience, and specialty, a wage gap of nearly $20,000 remained. The gender wage gap was most pronounced in specialties like cardiology, where women earned approximately $34,000 less than men.
The publication of this data sparked conversations about policies, procedures, and cultural factors that might help counteract the gender wage gap. For instance, two of the studied medical schools had no difference in pay between men and women, suggesting that specific policies and cultures may help lessen the pay disparity.
In the UK, a similar story unfolded, with male doctors' pay being 40% higher than that of female doctors across the entire medical field.
Another worrying trend was the underrepresentation of women as first authors in top medical journals. While female first authorship has increased from 28% in 1994 to 38% in 2014, it seems to have plateaued or even decreased in some journals.
Addressing this issue calls for a multi-faceted approach, focusing on increasing female representation in high-level roles, bridging the pay gap, promoting research equity, and fostering cultural change. As advocates fight for gender equality, it appears that this issue will remain under the spotlight as we strive to make gender equality a reality in the medical field.
- In the realm of alternative medicine, Ayurveda, an ancient practice rooted in eastern philosophy, offers a potentially different approach to managing cardiovascular diseases.
- Within the health-and-wellness sector, businesses advocating for women's health during menopause are witnessing significant business growth due to increased awareness and financing.
- The science community has been deprecated for its slow progress in reducing the gender gap in medical research, with women's voices often absent in research on medical-conditions, such as cancer.
- For personal-growth enthusiasts, education-and-self-development courses now include topics on gender equality in medicine, providing insight into the complex intersection of finance, business, and medical practice.
- A study on work-life balance within the medical field found that women are more likely to bear the brunt of family responsibilities, with menopause affecting their work performance and career advancement.
- The dearth of women in high-level cardiology roles has become a pressing issue, leading to inadequate representation of medical-conditions that predominantly affect women, such as heart disease.
- Efforts towards advancing gender equality in medicine must encompass policy changes, cultural shifts, promoting research equity, and increasing female representation in competitive arenas, such as publishing in top medical journals.
