A Road Map for Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine: How Organizations Can Begin the Journey

Abstract

The gender pay gap in medicine represents the convergence of multiple forces that reward the way men physicians have typically worked and lived for decades. This traditional paradigm is not inherently better than a more equitable one that accounts for the unique contributions of women physicians as well as the demands and biases facing them. A more inclusive approach has the potential to generate superior outcomes within our industry, incentivize the right types of care, and engage the full talents of a considerable portion of the workforce. Closing the gender pay gap is achievable with organizational commitment and openness to culture and process change. It also requires funding, especially up front. Our road map emphasizes the importance of robust salary studies and efforts to clarify how the cost of equity will be forecasted, managed, and monitored. Closing the gender pay gap is a business proposition and, by treating it with the same attention to detail and rigor as they do other operating expenses, organizations can assess progress and cost and also normalize it as an ongoing enterprise effort.