Women outnumber men as Ob / Gyn practitioners but earn less money

Although women outnumber men as obstetric gynecology practitioners, they still earn significantly less money and the pay gap extends to subspecialties such as endocrinology. Reproductive and Infertility (REI), according to researchers at Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado.

"It is interesting to note that the Ob / Gyn domain is dominated by women and that this wage inequality persists," said the study's lead author, Malgorzata Skaznik-Wikiel, MD, badistant professor of economics. Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Colorado. "Why this gap?"

The study was published online this month in the journal Fertility and infertility.

It showed that even after adjusting for variables such as hours worked, years of practice, location, university practice vs. private practice, women's reproductive endocrinology, and infertility, subspecialists earn on average 67 $ 000 less than men in REI per year.

Inequity between doctors is well documented. According to Doximity, an online social network for health professionals, female doctors earn about 27.7% less than male doctors, or about $ 105,000.

A recent commentary published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology noted that 82% of people who enter obstetrics / gyn are women. Yet this field is the fourth of the 18 specialties in terms of gender pay inequality.

Skaznik-Wikiel and his colleagues sent surveys to 796 members of the Society of Reproductive Reproductive Endocrinology and Reproductive Infertility, certified or eligible to serve on the board. Of these, 215 responded, an above-average response for such surveys.

The study found that although women were more likely to practice less than five days a week, there was no significant difference in the number of hours spent per week at the visit. patients, research or other academic activities.

The researchers reviewed a number of reasons given for this pay gap: women working fewer hours, taking more personal time off, practicing in lower-paying specialties or practicing in universities rather than in their own right. private.

Yet, they found little to justify these suggestions.

For example, the study indicates that it is unlikely that a woman taking more personal leave, such as a maternity leave, will badign a base salary. In addition, more and more men are taking paternity leave, they added.

One possible culprit is "wage compression". It is then that the market rate for a job exceeds the salary increases for those who already hold these positions. New recruits may have higher wages.

"It seems that men are changing jobs more often than women and that new jobs are paying more to attract new employees," Skaznik-Wikiel said.

She also said that women are often reluctant to negotiate too high wages for fear of being perceived as too aggressive, which many people do not badociate with men who do the same thing.

In the end, Skaznik-Wikiel said, there is no good reason for the difference.

"The first step in reducing the gender gap is to recognize that it exists," she said. "The ignorance of this issue is no longer acceptable."

The second step is to open up a frank and honest discussion about income, wage bargaining, and the implementation of institutional and private policies on university practice that address potential gender biases, the study said.

Wages, increases and bonuses should be more transparent, Skaznik-Wikiel said.

"Women must also take on mentor roles now more than ever," she said. "Practitioners in the field of obstetrics and gynecology and its subspecialties can set an example by establishing new transparent standards and better policies that create a pay equity environment."