New Survey Shows Male Physicians Believe Gender Pay Gap not Issue

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Most male physicians believe gender discrimination is not an issue in the workplace, according to the latest Physicians' Views on Gender Discrimination Issues Report from Medscape. The new report released earlier last month, polled over 2,340 physicians across more than 29 specialties, asking about their views on social issues such as gender discrimination and pay inequality. Ages 55 to 64, and over 65 were the largest age groups at 27 percent each, with 62 percent males overall. The top two specialties included Internal Medicine at 13 percent and Family Medicine at 10 percent.

Overall, only 5 percent of the physicians polled believed gender discrimination was a top social issue. Additionally, social discrimination ranked 9^th out of 10 issues that were included in the poll. When broken out by age, the importance that was assigned to gender discrimination did not seem to change.  Physicians considered issues such as gun control, domestic violence, and climate change as more pressing issues to be addressed.

When broken out by region however, there were definite differences in how physicians view the topic. The New England region was more concerned about gender discrimination as 10 percent of physicians in the region considered it a top social issue. The findings were actually supported by a separate gender equality study by the Georgetown Institute of Women that found Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire as most concerned for women’s rights. The Mountain region had the lowest percentage of physicians that viewed gender discrimination as a top issue with only 2 percent.

Sixty-six percent of female physicians but only 30 percent of male physicians have stated they have experienced or know someone that has experienced gender discrimination in the workplace.

Some of the views quoted in the survey included incidents of being ignored in meetings, and opportunities not given due to choosing to have children. Other takes included sentiments of gender discrimination efforts benefiting primarily white women and not women of color. Another quote stated that the issue of gender discrimination was overhyped.

When asked if pay was based on gender at their job, 73 percent of male physicians and 31 percent of female physicians stated no. Four percent of male physicians and 16 percent of female physicians stated that people earned less based on gender at both current and previous workplaces.

When asked about whether or not gender discrimination affected their families, 26 percent overall believed that it does have an impact, with 50 percent being women and 13 percent male. One of the issues highlighted was rigid work schedules that makes parenting more difficult.

When asked about the statement that women have the same opportunities as men in the US, 46 percent of men agreed with the statement, but 44 percent disagreed. Only 25 percent of women agreed to the statement, and an overwhelming 67 percent disagreed. When asked if the current level of gender equality was acceptable, 34 percent of men stated that it was acceptable, however 47 percent of the men polled disagreed. Eleven percent of women agreed the current gender equality level was acceptable, but 78 percent disagreed.

According to a 2021 study released last year, over a 40-year career span female surgical specialists will make $2.5 million less than their male peers. Nonsurgical female specialists will make $1.6 less than their male peers throughout their career.

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