International Women’s Day is celebrated each year on March 8 to honor the achievements of women across industries and raise awareness about the discrimination and biases that women still face worldwide. This year’s theme, “Embrace Equity,” envisions a gender-equal world and encourages everyone to take action against gender disparities.
In recent years, equity has been a significant topic of discussion in the healthcare industry. The United States’ healthcare system has made some strides in embracing equity, but there is still room for growth. This article explores the ways in which the U.S. healthcare system is embracing equity and where it needs to improve.
Visit this link to learn more about this year’s international women’s day theme and find how you can get involved on this International Womens Day.
Embracing Equity in the U.S. Healthcare System: Changing the Face of U.S. Medicine
Representation is crucial to improving patient outcomes, and several studies have shown this. It has already been shown that women are changing the face of medical care in the United States. Women surpassed men in medical school enrollment for the first time in 2019, and data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows growth in the percentage of women practicing in specialties where women-identifying patients are more likely to seek care, such as OBGYN and Reproductive Endocrinology.
Medical education is the key to creating more equitable opportunities, and more equitable opportunities lead to more representation and equity for women-identifying patients in the healthcare system. By changing the face of U.S. medicine, we can help create a more equitable healthcare system.
Pushing For More: International Women’s Day and Pay Inequities in U.S. Healthcare
Despite more women entering the healthcare industry, they still face a significant pay gap compared to their male colleagues. Medscape’s 2022 Physician’s Earning Report found that women primary care physicians earn an average of $57,000 less per year than men, and this gap jumps for specialists. On average, men earn nearly $100,000 more than women in a specialty outside of primary care.
While more women entering medicine is a positive development for more equitable patient outcomes, the pay gap represents the systemic biases and inequities that International Women’s Day aims to address. Fortunately, the pay gap has been narrowing over the last few years, and there is hope that this trend will continue as more women join the physician workforce.
The International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women worldwide and raise awareness about the challenges they face. The healthcare industry in the United States is making progress towards embracing equity, but there is still a lot of work to be done to create a more equitable system. By taking action against gender disparities, we can help build a more just and equitable world.