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Gender-Based Disparities in Academic Orthopaedic Surgery Physician Compensation in 2023.
Dhun Chauhan1, Joshua K DeYoung, Ezra Goodrich
1From the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (Chauhan, DeYoung, Goodrich, and Day), the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Auburn Hills, MI (Chauhan), the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI (DeYoung and Day), the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS (Templeton), and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Detroit, MI (Day).
Gender pay gaps persist in orthopaedic surgery, with men earning significantly more than women across all academic ranks. This study highlights ongoing disparities in compensation within this surgical specialty.
Area of Science:
- Medical specialties
- Surgical sciences
- Academic medicine
Background:
- Orthopaedic surgery is a medical field with low diversity.
- Achieving parity in opportunity and recognition is crucial for attracting and retaining diverse professionals.
- Gender-based salary discrepancies in academic orthopaedic surgery faculty were assessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate gender-based differences in total salary compensation.
- To analyze compensation by academic rank for orthopaedic surgery faculty.
Main Methods:
- Utilized aggregate data from the Association of American Medical Colleges for fiscal year 2023.
- Compared mean compensation for orthopaedic surgery and total surgery faculty across all academic ranks, stratified by gender and race.
Main Results:
- Men consistently earned higher total compensation than women in orthopaedic surgery, except at the chair level.
- Significant pay gaps were observed at the instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, and chief of division ranks.
- Women earned substantially less than men, for example, $229,204 versus $554,245 at the instructor level.
- Similar gender-based compensation disparities were found across other surgical specialties.
Conclusions:
- A notable pay differential exists between men and women in orthopaedic surgery and other surgical specialties.
- These gender-based compensation disparities are evident across multiple academic levels.
- Despite increased awareness, significant pay gaps in surgical specialties, including orthopaedic surgery, persist.
