Women still make up 56.8% of U.S. medical school matriculants in 2023 and are projected to reach 48.5% of the workforce by 2034, yet pay, power, and workplace safety remain uneven. From 74 cents on the male dollar and 1.6 times higher burnout rates to 52% reporting harassment in 2022, the gap is sharp enough to matter for real careers. Keep going to see how these disparities shift across specialties, leadership, and even everyday clinic life.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 20.2% of U.S. women physicians earn over $500k annually vs. 42% men
- Female physicians experience 1.6 times higher burnout rates than males
- Gender pay gap in U.S. medicine: women earn 74 cents per male dollar in 2023
- In 2023, women comprised 56.8% of U.S. medical school matriculants, marking the seventh consecutive year they have outnumbered men
- Women make up 37.1% of the active physician workforce in the United States as of 2023
- Among U.S. medical students in 2022-2023, 54.6% identified as female
- In 2023, women hold 38.5% of department chair positions at U.S. med schools
- Women deans at U.S. medical schools increased to 22.4% in 2023 from 18% in 2018
- Only 18.5% of NIH-funded principal investigators in medicine are women in 2022
- Women accounted for 49.8% of U.S. medical school graduates in 2023
- The average MCAT score for female matriculants was 511.7 in 2023, compared to 512.3 for males
- Women medical students report higher rates of mentorship satisfaction at 72% vs. 68% for men in 2022 AAMC survey
- Women represent 50.9% of U.S. active physicians in primary care in 2023
- Female physicians work 8.1 fewer hours per week than male counterparts on average
- In 2022, 44.5% of U.S. hospital-employed physicians were women
Women physicians still face major pay, burnout, and harassment gaps that threaten retention.
Related reading
01 · Category
Challenges, Pay, and Retention27 stats
01
In 2023, 20.2% of U.S. women physicians earn over $500k annually vs. 42% men
02
Female physicians experience 1.6 times higher burnout rates than males
03
Gender pay gap in U.S. medicine: women earn 74 cents per male dollar in 2023
04
52% of women physicians report harassment in the workplace in 2022
05
Women in medicine have 2 times higher suicide attempt rates
06
Female surgeons face 60% higher malpractice lawsuit rates
07
39% of women physicians plan to reduce hours due to burnout in 2023
08
Maternity leave leads to 15% career income loss for women docs
09
Women report 28% more microaggressions in clinical settings
10
Female primary care pay: $239k vs. $286k male in 2023
11
45.6% of women physicians consider leaving medicine early
12
Pregnancy discrimination reported by 73% of women physicians
13
Female specialists earn 25% less, e.g., ortho $150k gap
14
Women have 1.7 times higher depression rates in residency
15
In UK, women GPs earn 12% less per hour worked
16
61% of female surgeons report imposter syndrome
17
Childcare responsibilities reduce women doc productivity by 22%
18
Female faculty promotion to full professor takes 2 years longer
19
33% higher administrative burden on women physicians
20
In Canada, gender pay gap in medicine is 18.5% in 2023
21
Women report 40% more work-family conflict
22
Malpractice premiums 20% higher for female OB/GYNs
23
47.2% of women physicians over 50 report retirement plans accelerated by stress
24
Bias in performance reviews affects 68% of women faculty
25
Female anesthesiologists earn $50k less annually on average
26
Retention rate for women post-residency: 82% vs. 91% men at 5 years
27
55% of women cite lack of sponsorship for advancement
Interpretation
Challenges, Pay, and Retention Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim, absurdist comedy: women in medicine are systematically underpaid, overburdened, and harassed into burnout at every turn, yet they’re still expected to perform the same miracles as their male counterparts who face far fewer obstacles.
02 · Category
Demographics and Representation29 stats
01
In 2023, women comprised 56.8% of U.S. medical school matriculants, marking the seventh consecutive year they have outnumbered men
02
Women make up 37.1% of the active physician workforce in the United States as of 2023
03
Among U.S. medical students in 2022-2023, 54.6% identified as female
04
In 2021, women represented 41% of full-time faculty at U.S. medical schools
05
Black women account for only 5.5% of U.S. medical school matriculants in 2023
06
Hispanic/Latina women comprise 12.4% of medical school enrollees in the U.S. for 2022-2023
07
Women physicians in the U.S. are projected to reach 48.5% of the workforce by 2034
08
In 2020, women made up 28% of emergency medicine residents in the U.S.
09
Asian women represent 21.3% of U.S. medical school matriculants in 2023
10
Women account for 50.7% of first-year medical students in Canada as of 2022
11
In the UK, women comprise 55.5% of medical students in 2023
12
Women physicians in surgery in the U.S. increased from 7.5% in 2007 to 16.2% in 2022
13
In Australia, 48.9% of the medical workforce was female in 2021
14
Women make up 42% of physicians under 40 in the U.S. in 2023
15
Native American/Alaska Native women are 0.8% of U.S. physicians in 2023
16
In Europe, women represent 46% of practicing doctors as of 2022
17
Women comprise 52% of family medicine residents in the U.S. in 2023
18
In India, women doctors constitute 28.5% of the registered medical workforce in 2022
19
LGBTQ+ women are 4.2% of U.S. medical students in 2023 surveys
20
Women over 55 make up 22.4% of female physicians in the U.S.
21
In 2023, 58.2% of U.S. DO medical school matriculants were women
22
Women in pediatrics represent 64.7% of residents in 2023
23
In 2022, women were 35.8% of U.S. active surgeons
24
Rural women physicians in the U.S. are 36.2% of the rural workforce
25
In 2023, women comprised 51.4% of applicants to U.S. MD schools
26
White women are 46.2% of U.S. medical faculty in 2021
27
In obstetrics/gynecology, women are 84.1% of residents in 2023
28
Women in anesthesiology make up 39.5% of U.S. residents in 2023
29
In 2022, women were 47.3% of psychiatry residents in the U.S.
Interpretation
Demographics and Representation Interpretation
While the pipeline of new doctors is now decisively female, with women comprising over 56% of recent U.S. matriculants, the upper echelons of the profession stubbornly cling to a boy’s club atmosphere, as evidenced by women still making up only 37% of active physicians and a paltry 41% of full-time faculty.
03 · Category
Leadership and Advancement28 stats
01
In 2023, women hold 38.5% of department chair positions at U.S. med schools
02
Women deans at U.S. medical schools increased to 22.4% in 2023 from 18% in 2018
03
Only 18.5% of NIH-funded principal investigators in medicine are women in 2022
04
Women serve as 27.1% of division chiefs in academic surgery departments in 2023
05
In 2023, 34.2% of residency program directors in U.S. are women
06
Female physicians hold 16.8% of CEO positions in U.S. health systems in 2022
07
Women are 29.4% of editorial board members in top medical journals in 2023
08
In Canada, women occupy 26.7% of department head roles in 2023
09
21.3% of speakers at major U.S. medical conferences are women in 2022
10
Women lead 15.9% of clinical trials as principal investigators in 2023
11
In the UK, 32.5% of clinical directors are women in 2023
12
Female full professors in U.S. med schools: 21.8% in 2023
13
Women chair 17.2% of U.S. academic medicine departments in 2023
14
28.6% of board-certified surgeons in leadership are women
15
In Australia, women are 24.1% of medical college presidents historically to 2023
16
Women hold 19.7% of chief medical officer roles in U.S. hospitals 2023
17
33.4% of fellowship directors in pediatrics are women in 2023
18
Female researchers receive 12% less NIH funding per grant in 2022
19
In 2023, 25.8% of AMA committee chairs are women
20
Women are 31.2% of practice owners in multi-specialty groups
21
14.6% of Nobel laureates in Physiology/Medicine are women up to 2023
22
In EU medical societies, women hold 23.9% of presidency roles 2023
23
Female vice-chairs in U.S. radiology departments: 22.7% in 2023
24
29.1% of U.S. med school associate deans for research are women
25
Women lead 18.4% of biotech firms with medical focus in 2023
26
In 2022, 36.5% of promotion committee members were women
27
Female surgeons as society presidents: 11.3% in major orgs to 2023
28
Women are 27.8% of key opinion leaders in pharma-sponsored events
Interpretation
Leadership and Advancement Interpretation
While we can celebrate incremental progress in the glass ceiling’s structural integrity, the persistent and pervasive data reveal that medicine’s highest corridors of power still echo more with the sound of one hand clapping.
More related reading
04 · Category
Medical Education26 stats
01
Women accounted for 49.8% of U.S. medical school graduates in 2023
02
The average MCAT score for female matriculants was 511.7 in 2023, compared to 512.3 for males
03
Women medical students report higher rates of mentorship satisfaction at 72% vs. 68% for men in 2022 AAMC survey
04
In 2023, 61.2% of women medical students matched into their first-choice specialty
05
Female medical students experience 1.5 times higher rates of burnout during clerkships
06
Women comprise 53.4% of preclinical medical students in U.S. MD programs in 2023
07
In 2022, women earned 51.2% of MD degrees from U.S. schools
08
Female applicants to medical school had a 43.1% acceptance rate in 2023 vs. 41.8% for males
09
78% of women medical students report experiencing gender bias in evaluations
10
Women in medical school report 22% higher study hours per week on average
11
In 2023, 55.3% of U.S. medical school enrollees were women
12
Female medical students have a 92.1% first-time USMLE Step 1 pass rate vs. 91.8% for males in 2022
13
65% of women medical students participate in research electives
14
Women make up 57.2% of students in primary care tracks in 2023
15
In 2022, women reported higher debt at graduation: $205,000average vs. $195,000 for men
16
48.6% of female medical students intend OB/GYN careers
17
Female students score 0.5 points higher on average in preclinical exams
18
71% of women med students seek dual-degree programs like MD/MPH
19
Women in UK medical schools have a 95.2% progression rate vs. 93.8% for men
20
In 2023, 52.1% of Canadian medical graduates were women
21
Female U.S. med students report 15% more imposter syndrome
22
60.4% of women in DO programs graduate on time in 2023
23
Women medical students volunteer 18% more hours annually
24
In 2022, 54.8% of matriculants to competitive specialties were women
25
Female med students have 2.1 times higher depression screening positivity
26
67.3% of women pursue clerkships in women's health
Interpretation
Medical Education Interpretation
While women are now entering and excelling in medicine at near-parity, the stark reality is they are navigating a system where they study harder, incur more debt, face pervasive bias, and experience significantly higher burnout and depression, all while achieving equal or superior academic outcomes and reporting greater mentorship satisfaction.
05 · Category
Professional Practice and Employment28 stats
01
Women represent 50.9% of U.S. active physicians in primary care in 2023
02
Female physicians work 8.1 fewer hours per week than male counterparts on average
03
In 2022, 44.5% of U.S. hospital-employed physicians were women
04
Women in medicine have a 1.5 times higher attrition rate from clinical practice within 6 years
05
39.2% of U.S. part-time physicians are women in 2023
06
Female primary care physicians see 12% fewer patients per day than males
07
In 2023, women hold 51.7% of family medicine positions in the U.S.
08
Women physicians are 2.2 times more likely to reduce hours post-children
09
46.8% of U.S. nurse practitioners are in women's health practices led by female MDs
10
Female surgeons perform 14% fewer procedures annually than males
11
In 2022, 52.3% of Canadian family physicians were women
12
Women in UK NHS are 47.1% of hospital doctors in 2023
13
U.S. female physicians have 19% higher patient satisfaction scores
14
41.6% of academic clinicians in the U.S. are women in 2023
15
Women in emergency medicine work 5.4 fewer shifts per month
16
In 2023, 55.2% of U.S. pediatricians are women
17
Female physicians bill 11% less in Medicare reimbursements annually
18
48.9% of Australian GPs are women as of 2022
19
Women in psychiatry fill 50.4% of U.S. positions in 2023
20
Female docs in rural U.S. practices stay 1.2 years longer on average
21
In 2022, women comprised 43.7% of U.S. active anesthesiologists
22
53.1% of OB/GYN practicing physicians are women in 2023
23
Women physicians report 25% higher telemedicine adoption rates
24
In India, 32.4% of urban clinic doctors are women in 2023
25
Female U.S. physicians have 1.8 times higher locum tenens participation
26
49.2% of U.S. dermatologists are women in active practice 2023
27
Women in medicine take 2.3 more weeks maternity leave on average
28
Female radiologists comprise 27.1% of the U.S. workforce in 2023
Interpretation
Professional Practice and Employment Interpretation
The data paints a picture of a medical field where women have achieved near parity in numbers but not in practice patterns, as they disproportionately shoulder the invisible labor of caregiving while delivering superior patient care, yet are systematically penalized for it in hours, pay, and career longevity.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Women In Medicine Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-medicine-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Women In Medicine Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/women-in-medicine-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Women In Medicine Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/women-in-medicine-statistics.
Sources & references
63 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level