Pay Inequalities for Women in Medicine: Why Earn Less for Doing the Same Job?

On average, women in medicine earn 12 to 15 thousand dollars less per year than male counterparts. Many explanations have been suggested throughout the years, from tangible factors such as maternity leave and associated preferential part time work options, to intangible factors such as "fewer negotiation skills" and "less competitiveness." Regardless of how grounded or far-fetched these explanations may be, the fact remains that a significant pay gap continues to exist in today's workforce. Why is this still the case, and what can be done about it? Addressing these and other questions is Abi Rimmer, reporter and Deputy Editor for the Careers section of the British Medical Journal. Ms. Rimmer wrote a recent article in the BMJ titled "Why do female doctors earn less money for doing the same job?"