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Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Over 6700 female physicians responded to this year's Medscape compensation survey. As in previous years, a higher proportion of respondents were men (68% vs 32% women). Physicians disclosed their compensation, hours worked, minutes spent with patients, and satisfaction with their career and specialty. (Note: Values in graphs have been rounded.)
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Within specialties where women comprise more than 1%, the highest compensation levels were reported by female radiologists ($344,000), dermatologists ($339,000), and cardiologists ($327,000)—the same top three as in last year's Female Physician Compensation Report. The lowest were found for female pediatricians ($185,000), family physicians ($191,000), and infectious disease physicians ($194,000). All of these figures are lower than the overall averages for these specialties.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Women are prevalent in obstetrics and gynecology (56%) and pediatrics (53%). Nearly one half comprise dermatology (41%), psychiatry, and pathology (both 40%). Over one third of primary care physicians are women in family and internal medicine (39% and 35%, respectively). This graph only includes specialties in which more than 1% of physicians are female; in six specialties, women comprise less than 1%: allergy & immunology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pulmonology, rheumatology, and urology.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
This year, male primary care physician respondents reported average annual earnings of $229,000, compared with $197,000 for female respondents. The difference between men and women who choose primary care is very similar to last year, when women's earnings were $192,000 and men's were $225,000.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Men who specialize make 37% more in average annual earnings than women who chose specialties ($345,000 and $251,000, respectively). This difference has grown since last year. This result may be influenced by the smaller percentage of women in some of the higher-paying specialties. In addition, more women than men have chosen employment (72% vs 61%), which could also contribute to the disparities.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
There's a larger income difference (over one third) between men and women in the three older age groups of practicing physicians. For those aged 34 years or under, however, the disparity decreases to 18%.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
This year, female physicians who live in the Northwest and North Central regions earned the most ($264,000 and $258,000, respectively), whereas the lowest earnings among women were reported in the Mid-Atlantic ($224,000) and Southwest ($230,000) regions. Geographic supply and demand continue to play a role in compensation.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Among female primary care physicians, there is no real difference in compensation between those who are employed or self-employed ($197,000 vs $196,000). Among those who specialize, however, self-employed women make more than those who are employed: $289,000 versus $235,000.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Younger women appear to still feel drawn to primary care. There are greater percentages of younger women in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and ob/gyn.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Disparities exist not only between genders but also by race. African American/black women make the least ($229,000), followed by Caucasian/white women ($242,000). African American/black male physicians make more than women but less than Caucasian/white men ($303,000 vs $329,000). One possible factor is that in general, African American/black and all female physicians are more likely to go into primary care than are Caucasian/white men.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Among African American/black physicians, women are more likely to specialize than are men. Nearly three quarters (72%) of women have chosen to specialize and 28% are in primary care, compared with 68% and 32% of men, respectively.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Women who are based in a hospital setting have the highest full-time compensation ($253,000) compared with those in other practice situations. The second- and third-highest compensation levels are in office-based single-specialties and in healthcare organizations ($251,000 and $250,000, respectively). Those in outpatient clinics ($193,000) and academia ($202,000) earn the least.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
There's a very slight difference in type and amount of debt and expenses between female and male physician respondents. Top on the list are mortgages (69% and 67%, respectively) and car payments (both 41%). Although third on the list for both, more women than men are paying off their school debts (35% vs 25%), whereas more men than women (24% vs 19%) are paying off their children's college tuition.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Nearly one half (47%) of emergency medicine physicians reported ongoing student loan debt, followed by intensivists (42%), family physicians (41%), and ob/gyns (40%). Least likely to still be paying off student loans were female nephrologists (22%), followed by radiologists and endocrinologists (both at 26%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Eleven percent of men and 22% of women reported this year that they work part-time (less than 40 hours per week). This represents a slight decrease for both groups from last year's 12% and 25%, respectively.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
According to Medscape's Physician Compensation Report 2017, among primary care physicians, men earn 16% more than women ($229,000 and $197,000, respectively). Among specialists, the difference is even wider, with men making 37% more ($345,000 vs $251,000). Women's net worth is also much lower. Over one half (51%) of male physicians report a net worth of $1 million or more, compared with 33% of female physicians. It should be noted that fewer women are in the higher-paid specialties, more are carrying school debt, and more are working part-time.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
According to this year's report, men and women do not differ greatly in their spending habits. Physicians in general have a financially conservative lifestyle. Nearly all of female and male physicians report either living within their means or below them (92% and 93%, respectively).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Among the specialties where women comprise at least 1%, those most likely to believe that they are fairly compensated are radiologists and emergency medicine physicians (both 63%) and dermatologists (61%). At the bottom of the list, only 34% of nephrologists, 37% of infectious disease physicians, and 41% of endocrinologists believe that they are fairly paid. It is not clear, however, whether the amount of compensation necessarily correlates with satisfaction.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Given the disparity in compensation, it is hardly surprising that more men than women are satisfied with their income. However, the difference is not great: One half of women are satisfied, compared with 56% of men.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
About two thirds (67%) of female physicians say they will continue to take new and current Medicare and Medicaid patients, which is down from 81% last year and less than that reported by men this year (71%). Five percent of women plan to stop taking new Medicare and Medicaid patients, compared with 7% last year, and only 2% will stop seeing current patients on these plans. This decision is not applicable to 18% of women.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Given the increase in insured patients, it is not surprising that more women have reported an influx of patients due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year (45%) compared with last year (39%). This varies widely by specialty, however. Nearly two thirds of emergency medicine physicians (63%) and family physicians (62%) reported an influx. The fewest reporting new patients due to the ACA were plastic and general surgeons (both 29%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Among female respondents to last year's Medscape Physician Compensation survey, the highest rate of participation in the exchanges was reported by gastroenterologists and endocrinologists (both at 28%). This year, one third of all women report that they will participate in the exchanges. About one half (46%) are still undecided.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
When female physicians were asked whether their income was affected by health insurance exchanges, 45% reported no change and only 4% said it had increased. Thirteen percent reported a decrease. Over one third (38%) did not participate.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Thirty-eight percent of male physicians spend 46 hours or more per week with patients, compared with one quarter (25%) of their female peers. Sixty percent of men and nearly three quarters (72%) of women spend less time than that. Men's longer hours may help explain the compensation disparity between the genders.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Previous Medscape research found that female physicians spent more time with patients on average. In the 2012 Medscape Physician Compensation Report, 55% of female physicians reported spending 17 or more minutes with their patients compared with 48% of men. The time spent with patients has diminished over time for both men and women, however, and the difference has also decreased, with 46% of women and 39% of men spending 17 or more minutes with patients in this year's survey.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Bureaucratic tasks were the prime cause of burnout among all physicians, according to this year's Medscape Lifestyle Report (and in previous ones as well). Medscape's Compensation Reports through the years suggest that the paperwork problem is only getting worse. This year, 59% of female physicians spent 10 hours or more per week on paperwork, slightly more than men did (54%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
No real difference exists in the percentage of women and men who discuss costs with patients. This year, 73% of female physicians say they regularly or occasionally discuss the cost of treatment with patients, which is about the same as for men (75%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
Despite complaints about red tape, work requirements, and changes in the healthcare field, a full 95% of female respondents found some reward in being a physician and treating patients. This year, the highest percentages cited relationships with patients (37%) and being good at their job (28%), which differed slightly from men (30% and 32%, respectively). The least selected factors for women were pride in being a doctor (6%) and making good money at a job they like (11%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
There were no differences in how male and female physicians ranked the challenging parts of their job, although there were slight differences in how they perceived them. Although having so many rules and regulations topped the list for both genders, fewer women than men tended to consider this challenging (24% vs 30%). Women found working longer hours for less money slightly more challenging than men did (21% vs 17%).
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
In terms of female physicians who reported on whether they would choose medicine again, only a 15% difference was seen among all specialties. More cardiologists (85%) and fewer oncologists (70%) and neurologists (70%) than any other specialists would choose medicine again. Compensation levels appear to have almost no correlation with this choice.
Carol Peckham | May 17, 2017 | Contributor Information
There was a greater disparity in whether women who would choose medicine would also choose their own specialty again. Almost all female dermatologists (99%) who would stay in medicine would select their specialty again, followed by plastic surgeons (95%). And although oncology was at the bottom of the list for women who would choose medicine again, 93% of them would stay in that specialty. Less than two thirds of female internists and nephrologists would choose those professional tracks again.
More than 19,200 physicians in over 27 specialties responded to this year's Medscape compensation survey and told about their compensation, productivity, challenges, and more.Medscape Features Slideshows, April 2017
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Carol Peckham
Director, Editorial Services
Art Science Code LLC
New York, New York
Disclosure: Carol Peckham has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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