Differences In Starting Pay For Male And Female Physicians Persist; Explanations For The Gender Gap Remain Elusive.

Area of Science:

• Medical Economics
• Health Services Research
• Gender Studies in Medicine

Background:

• Significant literature documents salary disparities between male and female physicians.
• The precise drivers of the gender pay gap in medicine remain debated.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for achieving pay equity in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolution of the gender pay gap in starting salaries for new physicians from 1999-2017.
• To investigate the extent to which work-life balance preferences contribute to this salary gap.
• To identify potential unmeasured factors influencing physician earnings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ordinary least squares regression analysis.
• Employed Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition models for detailed analysis.
• Examined data for physicians accepting patient care positions between 1999 and 2017.

Main Results:

• The gender earnings gap among physicians remained consistent throughout the study period.
• Significant gender-based differences in work-life balance preferences were observed.
• These preferences explained a negligible portion of the overall gender salary gap.

Conclusions:

• The persistent gender pay gap in physician starting salaries is not explained by work-life balance preferences.
• Unmeasured variables likely account for the majority of the salary disparity.
• Further research is needed to identify and address the root causes of this inequity.