Women in Medicine—Progress and Opportunity
SHM is dedicated to improving care for hospitalized patients through innovation and collaboration and is committed to supporting all hospitalists in achieving this goal. There are many reasons to focus on elevating and supporting women in medicine, given some of the unique barriers and challenges they have faced over time.
It is understood that even from ancient Greek and Egyptian times, women functioned in medical roles for their society. In Ancient Egypt, Isis was worshipped as the goddess of medicine, and in Ancient Greece, Hygeia and Panacea were likely practicing physician healers.1 Yet in more modern times, women were barred from matriculating in schools until 1849, when our first female medical graduate, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, paved the way, refusing the advice to pretend she was a man despite numerous school rejections. Even by 1960, less than 6% of medical school matriculants were women. It wasn’t until we saw a big push during the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s that we saw any real progress. In 1972, Congress passed legislation barring any institution receiving federal funding from discriminating based on gender. Today, we can celebrate that since 2017, women matriculating in medical schools have exceeded 50%, with the latest data at 57% nationally.2 There is much reason to recognize the value of having women physicians, with studies showing such benefits as: more women going into OB-GYN, pediatrics, and primary care; improved surgical outcomes; enhanced patient satisfaction; and even improved 30-day readmission and mortality benefits.3-6
Despite the progress made and the clear benefits of women pursuing careers in medicine, significant challenges persist in achieving true gender equity in medicine in a variety of concrete measures. The most recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows that while matriculation into medical school for women has grown, we see a steady step down in women achieving academic promotion and positions of leadership, which can help shape the culture of a department or organization.2
Additionally, over time, we see a drop-off in the ratios of women versus men in academic medical centers as full-time faculty. It is important to recognize potential causal factors associated with this drop-off, as women still report high rates of bullying and harassment, salary discrepancy, gender bias, more limited grant applications and funding, less recognition in awards, fewer publications and citations, more limited promotion and growth opportunities, and higher rates of burnout in the workplace—for a variety of reasons.7-10 Additionally, while applicable to anyone with caregiving responsibilities, studies have shown that women are responsible for childcare much more frequently than men, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing this to the forefront.11,12 The persistent drop-off of women in medicine and the discrepancy in multiple measures is an important story in itself and requires further evaluation, organizational transparency, and reflection, as many causes are interrelated and potentially exacerbate the problem of declining women faculty and fewer women in leadership roles overall.7-10
The history and extensive data published in this area help to inform and guide the work of SHM. The SHM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee holds gender issues as part of its core mission and supports other efforts across SHM. Some of the main areas SHM has focused on include:
- Special Interest Groups (SIGs): Though open to everyone, SIGs have provided networking and learning opportunities where women in hospital medicine can find support and mentorship and share challenges and facilitators for success.
- Programming for women leaders: SHM offers programs and resources focused on women’s leadership in hospital medicine. This includes “on-demand” sessions (available at annual conferences and learning portals) that highlight how women are transforming hospital medicine, and ongoing discussions on practical solutions for balancing the demands of family and career.
- Development of best practices: As outlined in the paper “SPEAKers at the National Society of Hospital Medicine Meeting: A Follow-Up Study of Gender Equity for Conference Speakers from 2015 to 2019. The SPEAK UP Study,” the SHM annual meeting has historically used an open-call peer review process for workshop speakers, and they expanded this process for didactic speakers in 2019. From 2015 to 2019, the overall representation of women speakers increased, as did their evaluation scores. Open-call processes continue to be used by SHM and serve as a model to other organizations of strategies that can effectively help close the gender gap among speakers. Additionally, the annual conference features dedicated spaces for nursing mothers, which highlights SHM’s commitment to supporting families and caregivers. Lastly, the Hospitalist Well-being Advocates Toolkit provides resources and strategies for promoting well-being within hospital medicine, which is helpful to all hospitalists.
What can women in medicine do? Educate yourself on factors that align with your goals in seeking job opportunities, including:
- Asking about leadership roles and support received
- Looking at staff turnover and understanding associated factors
- Seeking out mentors and sponsors to help support your career growth and promotion opportunities (This includes strong allies and sponsors, both men and women, who have important organizational roles.)
- Creating clear pathways, timelines, and structures for your own academic and professional career growth
- Understanding local market forces and finding hard data on salary compensation and transparency through resources like MGMA/Sullivan Cotter, AAMC, and State of Hospital Medicine reports
- Participating in local and national leadership development workshops, courses, and other networking opportunities
- Creating community through organizations such as the Women in Medicine SIG and those at your home institution, allowing people to share candidly on issues related to women in medicine, such as fertility, caregiving for both children and elders, and other sensitive issues
- Joining a national committee—these contacts can help with academic promotion in the future, and help create connections to understand cultures at other organizations
- Creating networks through professional social media sites like LinkedIn or Doximity to help create a network of women (and men) to support you in professional development, job opportunities, and promotion
- Understanding family leave policies and culture, as well as part-time or job-sharing opportunities, if those align with your goals of family planning
Lastly, we encourage everyone to share their thoughts with SHM or with committee representatives or leaders to help identify ways the organization can support everyone. If you sit on a recruiting or conference committee, or any leadership role at an organization (or even if you don’t), be sure to recognize and modify culture even in small groups and everyday practices to help move the needle forward. Every voice counts in making progress.
Dr. Rizk
Dr. Del Pino-Jones,
Dr. Rizk is a hospitalist in the Mount Sinai Health System and a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine, both in New York. Dr. Del Pino-Jones is an associate dean of health opportunities and professional engagement and an associate professor in the division of hospital medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colo.
References
- Joseph MM, et al. State of women in medicine: history, challenges, and the benefits of a diverse workforce. Pediatrics. 2021;148(Suppl 2):e2021051440C. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-051440C.
- Lautenberger DM and Dandar VM. The state of women in academic medicine 2023-2024. American Academy of Medical Colleges website. https://store.aamc.org/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/639/. Published November 2024. Accessed August 2, 2025.
- Yang J. Percentage of physicians in select specialties in the U.S. who were women as of 2023. Statista website. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1019841/female-physicians-women-specialties-us/. Published July 18, 2025. Accessed August 2, 2025.
- Wallis CJD, et al. Surgeon sex and long-term postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing common surgeries. JAMA Surg. 2023;158(11):1185-1194. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2023.3744.
- Tsugawa Y, et al. Comparison of hospital mortality and readmission rates for Medicare patients treated by male vs female physicians. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(2):206-213. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.7875.
- Harris E. Patients treated by female physicians had better mortality rates. JAMA. 2024;331(22):1884. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.8429.
- Pin JA and Pin PG. Addressing the doctor shortage and assisting women physicians: a win-win. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2024;37(5):894-896. doi:10.1080/08998280.2024.2353001.
- Dudley J, et al. Why so many women physicians are quitting. Harvard Business Review website. https://hbr.org/2022/01/why-so-many-women-physicians-are-quitting. Published January 19, 2022. Accessed August 2, 2025.
- Whaley CM, et al. Female physicians earn an estimated $2 million less than male physicians over a simulated 40-year career. Health Aff (Millwood). 2021;40(12):1856-1864. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2021.00461.
- Nocco SE and Larson AR. Promotion of women physicians in academic medicine. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2021;30(6):864-871. doi:10.1089/jwh.2019.7992.
- Robinson LJ, et al. Who is caring for health care workers’ families amid COVID-19? Acad Med. 2021;96(9):1254-1258. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000004022.
- Gottenborg EW, et al. The experience of women in hospital medicine leadership: a qualitative study. J Gen Intern Med. 2021;36(9):2678-2682. doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06458-x.