Important Issues

Today, March 12, is Equal Pay Day, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. This date symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.

Despite the increased number of women physicians, the gender pay gap exists in medicine according to nationwide surveys. According to a brief coauthored by DC Board of Medicine Chair Dr. Andrea Anderson, across every racial/ethnic group, male physicians earned more than female physicians. These disparities amplify and compound over time. A widely publicized study found that women physicians make $2 million less than men over their lifetime.

MSDC’s Gender Equity Task Force explores gender equity in medicine, specifically in the District of Columbia. The Task Force's work will conduct a comprehensive compensation survey later this year to evaluate compensation disparity in Washington, D.C. In addition, the Task Force is holding programs related to negotiating employment contracts and equitable compensation, mentorship and leadership development, and other topics related to gender equity. Learn about MSDC’s work at https://www.msdc.org/advocacy/gender-equity.