The American Medical Association adopted a set of guidelines designed to reduce gender disparities in medicine, particularly around pay and leadership roles.
Disparities in healthcare are significant: Female physicians earn 36 percent less than male physicians across all specialties, according to Medscape physician compensation data. Meanwhile, women account for only 25 percent of tenured medical school faculty, despite accounting for 41 percent of full-time faculty.
The principles adopted at AMA's annual meeting are designed to be a "step in the right direction," according to AMA board chair Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD.
Among its new policies and principles, the AMA says all physician employers — academic medical centers, medical schools, hospitals, group practices and others — should periodically review compensation and promotion rates by gender to see if adjustments need to be made, and make this information transparent. It also suggests healthcare organizations provide training on leadership development, contract and salary negotiations, and career advancement strategies. It suggests these trainings include a component that discusses how gender affects these areas.
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