Gender and race trends in academic rank of dermatologists at top U.S. institutions: A cross-sectional study

Gender distribution and NIH funding rank in dermatology leadership: a cross-sectional analysis

In examining the influence of National Institute of Health (NIH) funding on gender distribution within dermatology leadership roles, a cross-sectional analysis of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited dermatology residencies was conducted. The gender of leadership faculty was verified using online resources, while institutions were categorized by their 2022 NIH dermatology funding status. Results revealed that male dermatologists predominantly occupied department chair roles, whereas female dermatologists were more frequently found in associate program director roles, regardless of funding status. Notably, women held most program director positions in the top NIH-funded group, though this difference was not statistically significant due to a smaller sample size. The overall gender distribution has shown progress from 2021, with a significant rise in female associate program directors and a narrowing gender gap for chairs and program directors. Despite NIH funding rank playing a minimal role in gender distribution, our study underscores positive strides towards gender equality in dermatology leadership. Further advocacy for gender balance and additional research on underlying factors are essential for continued progress.

Gender Equity in Medicine and Dermatology in the United States: The Long Road Traveled and the Journey ahead

Over the past 50 years there has been an increase in the representation of women in medicine with similar rates of men and women graduating from medical training today. Nevertheless, gender gaps in leadership, research publications, and compensation persist. Herein, we review trends in gender differences among leadership positions in academic medicine with a particular focus on dermatology, evaluate the roles of mentorship, motherhood, and gender bias on gender equity, and discuss constructive solutions for addressing gender inequities that persist in academic medicine today.

Diversity in the Dermatology Workforce and in Academic Medicine

Health disparities exist in marginalized patient populations throughout medical specialties, including in dermatology. It is important that the physician workforce reflect the diversity of the US population to address these disparities. At present, the dermatology workforce does not reflect the racial or ethnic diversity of the US population. The subspecialties of pediatric dermatology, dermatopathology, and dermatologic surgery are even less diverse than the dermatology workforce as a whole. Although women make up over half of the population of dermatologists, disparities still exists in areas such as compensation and presence in leadership positions.

Dermatology Workforce in the United States - Part 1: Overview, Transformations, and Implications

The dermatology workforce continues to evolve to meet the growing and diversified demands of the United States population. Part 1 of this continuing medical education (CME) series is designed to provide an overview of the dermatology workforce as well as delineate the motivators and socio-economic implications of significant workforce transformations which are impacting dermatologic health care. Part 2 of the series will consider the impact of workforce challenges on patient outcomes and discuss potential actions that may help to optimize workforce organization and care delivery.

Diversifying the dermatology workforce: Physician characteristics vary by race/ethnicity

BACKGROUND

In the United States (US), dermatology remains one of the least diverse specialties in medicine. Increasing the diversity of the dermatology workforce is essential for reducing health disparities.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse physicians in the US who successfully matched into dermatology.

METHODS

Board-certified dermatologists and dermatology residents were recruited to participate in an anonymous, online survey in which self-reported demographic, socioeconomic, pre-residency, and post-residency career data were obtained.

RESULTS

Of the 100 participants included in the study, 30% were dermatology residents and 25% belonged to a group underrepresented in medicine (UIM). Black physicians were 3.69 times more likely to select dermatology prior to medical school (odds ratio [OR], 3.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 - 13.0) compared to non-Black physicians. UIM dermatologists and trainees were more likely to receive a need-based scholarship in medical school (OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 1.30 - 14.7), graduate from a private medical institution (OR, 6.49; 95% CI, 1.95 - 21.6), and have at least one UIM dermatology mentor during medical school (adjusted OR, 13.1; 95% CI, 2.77 - 61.5) compared to non-UIM physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

A holistic review of dermatology applicants by residency programs may reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the admission process. Our data provide further evidence in support of pre-medical outreach programs, mentorship, and institutional funding to promote diversity in dermatology.

Contribution of gender on compensation of Veterans Affairs-affiliated dermatologists: A cross-sectional study

Background

Gender disparity in research funding, leadership, authorship, and compensation in medicine is well documented, with most parameters favoring men over women. Gender differences in salary in dermatology have not been well studied.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the contribution of gender to dermatologists’ compensation in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by identifying VA-affiliated dermatologists from the U.S. Department of VA website. The contributions of gender, years since graduation, h-index, academic appointment, race, and region on the publicly available salaries were analyzed using a linear-regression model to isolate the effects of gender and interaction with other variables.

Results

This study included 247 VA dermatologists with publicly available salaries (114 women and 133 men). On univariate analyses, male dermatologists had significantly higher compensation than female dermatologists (p = .0333). However, male dermatologists also had significantly more years since graduation (p < .0001) and higher h-indices (p < .0001). Multivariate analysis showed that gender was not a significant contributor to salary. Instead, years since graduation (p < .0001), h-index (p = .0066), and academic appointment (p < .0001) contributed significantly to VA dermatologists’ salaries. Region and race were not determinants of salary. Gender did not contribute to salary overall, but there was an interactive effect between gender and region (p = .0099). Compared with women, male dermatologists had significantly higher salaries in the Midwest (p < .0018).

Conclusion

Our study revealed that VA hospitals have maintained gender equality in dermatologist compensation nationally, which could serve as a model to close salary gender gaps in other health care systems. Further research should focus on inclusion of VA physicians from different specialties, as well as across multiple years, to further characterize this observation.