Female surgeons earn 24 percent less per hour than male surgeons under a fee-for-service system in Canada, a difference that can cost women more than $50 per hour in some specialties, according to new research published by JAMA Surgery.
This debunks a commonly accepted theory that hours worked contributes to sex-based pay differences, the authors say.
The study was conducted among more than 3,000 surgeons who work in Canada, under a single-payer, fee-for-service system. Researchers used data from more than 1.5 million procedures.
They found hourly earnings, when paid by surgeries performed, were 24 percent less for female surgeons. Adjusted by specialty, the pay disparity persisted. The gap was largest in cardiothoracic surgery (men earned $59 more per hour) and orthopedic surgery (men earned $55 more per hour).
The researchers noted it did not take female surgeons longer than male surgeons to complete the procedures. However, they note that female surgeons were more likely to perform lower-paying procedures. This suggests male surgeons may have more opportunity to perform lucrative procedures than their female counterparts, the surgeons conclude.
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