The study, published Sept. 30 in JAMA, looked at 490,188 students in the physician pipeline from 2008 to 2022. Researchers used data from Doximity to define high- and low-paying specialties. High-paying specialties were the surgical fields of neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, integrated plastic surgery, general surgery, integrated thoracic surgery, urology and integrated vascular surgery; and the nonsurgical fields of anesthesiology, dermatology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology and diagnostic radiology. The lowest-paying fields were child neurology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine/pediatrics, medical genetics and genomics, neurology, nuclear medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pathology, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and psychiatry.
Here are three findings:
- The percentage of women entering lower-paying specialties remained steady from 2008 to 2022 at 53% versus 53.3%.
- The proportion of women entering all high-paying fields grew from 32.7% to 40.8%.
- For nonsurgical specialties, the percentage of women fell from 36.8% in 2009 to 34.3% in 2022. In surgical specialties, the rate rose from 28.1% in 2009 to 37.6% in 2022.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
