If you visit a doctor’s office or venture into a lab these days, you won’t be surprised to see a female scientist or physician. We’re long past the hoary days when science and medicine were exclusively the province of men.
But that history doesn’t capture her story. Women in science and medicine still confront an appalling array of gender-related disparities, biases, harassment and inequities. Every female doctor or scientist has a story of struggle; sometimes eventually forcing them out of their chosen profession. Women for slightly more than half of the total population of the U.S. but just one-third of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Its no different in medicine. Roughly half of all medical school students are female, but women make up only 35% of the physician workforce.
Disparities sharpen by demographic group and by medical specialty. Science and medicine do not exist in a cultural vacuum. Despite real progress in recent years, deeply ingrained biases persist, fueled by societal and systemic factors that historically and routinely obstruct women’s advancement in science and medicine, even in institutions and places that should know better.
Sexism and sexual harassment is a real problem, especially in academic medicine.
Gender inequity shows up in subpar lab space or less desirable teaching and committee opportunities. Career advancement for women involves ever-increasing hurdles, winnowing their representation in leadership. Less than one-third of medical school deans are women, for example. And that constitutes progress: In 1994, it was 3%.
Then there’s compensation. Advanced degrees don’t mean equal paychecks. A study that tracked more than 55,700 people who earned a doctoral degree between July 1, 2018 and June 31, 2019 reported that the median annual salary for men was $95,000 compared to $72,500 for women, a gap of $22,500.
Salary disparities are worse in academia than in industry. Likewise in medicine. Male physicians consistently earn more than female physicians.
For every dollar a male doctor earns, a female doctor earns 74 cents. Over the course of an average career, that translates to as much as $2.5 million less in lost career earnings for women physicians compared to men.
But that presumes female doctors and scientists have comparable careers. They often don’t. Aside from the steeper climb to simply achieve equal success and standing, women face additional and particular handicaps.
Men are not expected to put their careers on hold to start a family — or to sustain one. Cultural mores place the heavy lifting and expectations upon women. It’s a big reason why women more than men bail on medical careers early.
Pregnancy and time away to raise children represent profound disruptions in scientific and medical careers. A scientist or doctor cannot often step away from research or patients for a few years and then return without, in effect, starting over.
Motherhood leads to women being penalized while fatherhood does not have the same career consequences.
There are no simple remedies to gender inequity in science and medicine. The problems are structural and organizational, and solutions require more than policy paeans and values statements. There must be substantial changes, including:
— Serious and sustained and mentoring systems for women throughout their scientific and medical careers to overcome stereotypes, male-dominated cultures and a dearth of role models.
— Clear, strong rules that hold people able for incidents of bias and discrimination, with confidential reporting systems and appropriate consequences.
— Improved childbearing and family leave programs that don’t punish women who use them, such as holding in place their position and status while away so they can pick up where they left off or creating flexible istrative solutions; affordable, on-site child care; and lactation policies that recognize the biological factors that impact careers.
— Similar policies for elder care and other forms of informal care, most of which are provided by women. Formal and equitable access to resources and career opportunities, with equity in salaries and other benefits.
Many proposals and studies exist with good recommendations, but implementation has been uneven and sometimes illusory. Vested interests have learned to talk the talk. Just ask a female scientist or doctor. The time is now to walk the walk before some of our finest female researchers and physicians simply walk.
Brenner is a physician-scientist and president and chief executive officer of Sanford Burnham Prebys and lives in La Jolla.
