Women in academic medicine earn between $6,000 and $15,000 less per year than men with similar levels of accomplishment. As a result, over a 30-year career, an average female faculty member with a Ph.D. earns almost $215,000 less that of a comparable male, according to a study published in the April issue of Academic Medicine.
Surveys sent to more than 3,000 randomly selected faculty members in life sciences departments at 50 top academic medical centers in 2003 or 2004 found that female professors worked many more hours per week than male professors. The women spent the additional time primarily on administrative and other tasks outside of teaching, doing research or caring for patients.
"The gender gap in pay has been well-documented, but what was not understood was whether academic accomplishments could overcome the pay gap," said study leader Catherine DesRoches of the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Our study found that, across the board, men are being paid substantially more than equally qualified and accomplished women at academic medical centers."
To learn more:
- read this HealthDay piece
- check out the study in Academic Medicine