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Race and gender differences in general internists' annual incomes
William B Weeks1, Amy E Wallace
1VA Outcomes Group Research Enhancement Award Program, White River Junction VAMC, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA. wbw@dartmouth.edu
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|August 11, 2006
Summary
Racial and gender disparities persist in physician incomes. Black and female General Internists earned significantly less than white males in the 1990s, indicating ongoing income inequality.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Medical Practice Management
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Physician income is influenced by specialty, work effort, and gender.
- Racial disparities in physician income have not been extensively studied.
- Understanding these disparities is crucial for addressing equity in the medical profession.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of race and gender on General Internists' annual incomes.
- To control for work effort, provider, and practice characteristics in the analysis.
- To quantify income differences across racial and gender groups.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of survey data from actively practicing General Internists.
- Utilized data from the American Medical Association's annual survey (1992-2001).
- Included 1,748 physicians, analyzing work effort, provider/practice characteristics, and income.
Main Results:
- White females worked fewer hours and saw fewer patients than white males.
- Black males and females reported higher patient volumes and work hours than white males.
- After adjustments, black males earned 4% less, white females 19% less, and black females 29% less than white males.
Conclusions:
- Both black race and female gender were associated with lower annual incomes for General Internists in the 1990s.
- Income disparities for female physicians were substantial.
- Further research is warranted to explore the underlying causes of these persistent income gaps.
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