Examining Gender Disparity in Medicine and Setting a Course Forward

Key Points Question Are women, who in 2015 made up 61.9% of pediatricians and 53.0% of full-time physician pediatric faculty, underrepresented among physician first authors of perspective-type articles published in the 4 highest-impact general pediatric journals? Findings In this cross-sectional study, women were underrepresented among physician first authors (140 of 336 [41.7%]). Underrepresentation was more pronounced in article categories described as more scholarly (range, 15.4%-44.1%) vs narrative (range, 52.9%-65.6%). Meaning Because women are underrepresented among physician first authors of perspective-type articles, they are less likely to have opportunities to express their opinions and provide insights that may influence the field.

Key Points Question What were the proportions of female speakers at academic medical conferences held in the United States and in Canada during the last decade? Findings In this cross-sectional analysis of 181 medical conferences in 2007 and from 2013 through 2017, the proportions of female speakers significantly increased from 24.6% to 34.1%. These proportions were similar to the percentages of practicing physicians who were women during the same time frame. Meaning Although the proportion of female speakers has increased during the last decade, women are underrepresented at medical conferences.