Gender Equity in Academic Medicine: Why Should We Care?

Abstract

Gender disparity exists generally in academia and specifically in research and education among academic medical specialists. Reasons for this disparity include overt and unconscious biases that result in women getting fewer opportunities to lead, receiving less compensation, being excluded from networking channels in which privileged positions are discussed, and facing bias in research, including in the peer review grant process. The recent spotlight on these disparities in other sectors pushes us to focus attention on the causes and consequences of gender disparity in academic medicine and to advocate for structural changes to ensure gender equity in academic departments of hospitals and universities.