Gender Disparities in Faculty Rank: Factors that Affect Advancement of Women Scientists at Academic Medical Centers

Cristina López,Cara Margherio,Latecia Abraham-Hilaire,Carol Feghali-Bostwick

doi:10.3390/socsci7040062

Cristina López, Cara Margherio + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7040062

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Abstract

While a significant portion of women within academic science are employed within medical schools, women faculty in these academic medical centers are disproportionately represented in lower faculty ranks. The medical school setting is a critical case for both understanding and advancing women in basic sciences. This study highlights the findings from focus groups conducted with women faculty across Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor ranks (n = 35) in which they discussed barriers and facilitators for advancement of women basic scientists at an academic medical center. Qualitative analysis demonstrated several emergent themes that affect women’s advancement, including gendered expectation norms (e.g., good citizenship, volunteerism), work-life balance, mentorship/sponsorship, adoption of a team science approach, tenure process milestones, soft money research infrastructure, institution specific policies (or lack thereof), and operating within an MD-biased culture. These findings are compared with the extant literature of women scientists in STEM institutions. Factors that emerged from these focus groups highlight the need for evidence-based interventions in the often overlooked STEM arena of academic medical centers.

Highlights

Women faculty remain underrepresented within academic science, especially at the more advanced ranks (i.e., Associate and Full Professors)
Given that surprisingly little research is available to explain the lack of gender equity in advanced academic ranks (Cook et al 2008; Magrane et al 2012), the current study aims to explore factors that contribute to the gender disparity in academic rank for women scientists, who exist as minorities both within their field and within the academic medical center
There were common factors identified by women scientists across all academic ranks who work in an academic medical center

Summary

Introduction

Women faculty remain underrepresented within academic science, especially at the more advanced ranks (i.e., Associate and Full Professors). A significant portion of women within academic science are employed within medical schools: 33% of all women basic scientists are employed by medical schools, compared to 24% of all men basic scientists In 2016, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, women made up 44.78% of Assistant Professors in U.S medical schools but only 35.62% of Associate Professors and 22.77% of. Full Professors (Association of American Medical Colleges 2016).

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