The AAMC published an interesting piece recently showcasing the results of their Physician Specialty Data Report on the interplay of race, gender, and specialty.
It’s worth combing through the data yourself, but here are a few takeaways:
Doctors from underrepresented groups are more concentrated in primary care fields. These specialties are extremely needed and noble, but since primary care is less well remunerated than surgical specialties, it’s worth thinking about the disproportionate density of minority physicians.
Women make up the majority of medical school students for the fourth year in a row.
Women represent a significant minority in surgical specialties like orthopedic surgery (5.9%), thoracic surgery (8.3%) and neurosurgery (9.6%). Ouch.
Focusing on another demographic, the doctor workforce has grown older. Over 46% of active U.S. doctors are 55+. That number was ~38% in 2007.
For more details, read the report here.
