Female physicians continue to face myriad challenges in medicine ranging from implicit bias to gaps in payment and promotion to sexual harassment. So it is not surprising (though it’s still appalling) that although equal numbers of men and women now graduate from medical school, only a small fraction of female physicians become medical leaders. Currently in the US, only 3% of healthcare CEOs are women, 6% are department chairs, 9% are division chiefs, and 3% are serving as chief medical officers. This is despite women comprising 80% of the healthcare workforce and evidence that having women in upper management and on corporate boards is associated with improved financial performance and enhanced accountability.
Fixing the Gender Imbalance in Health Care Leadership
Female physicians continue to face myriad challenges in medicine ranging from implicit bias to gaps in payment and promotion to sexual harassment. It is accordingly not surprising (although still appalling) that although equal numbers of males and females currently graduate from medical school, only a small fraction of female physicians become medical leaders. The numbers point to a clear need for better representation of female physicians among the ranks of medical leadership. How exactly to achieve this given the many barriers cited has been harder to identify. Yet bright spots have emerged, both in healthcare and in other industries asking themselves a similar question. Four moves may help: quantification, rethinking awards and promotions, engaging broadly, and creating opportunities for development and sponsorship.