The influence of physician race and gender on obstetrician-gynecologists' annual incomes.
OBJECTIVE
A study using 1998 data concluded that incomes of male and female obstetrician-gynecologists were essentially equivalent, after considering only differences in productivity. We examined the association between gender, race, and obstetrician-gynecologists' incomes, after correcting for productivity and other important practice and provider characteristics.


METHODS
Survey responses obtained from 1992 to 2001 from 962 actively practicing obstetrician-gynecologists and linear regression modeling were used to estimate the influence of race and gender on physicians' annual incomes after controlling for work effort, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics.


RESULTS
Compared with white male and black female obstetrician-gynecologists, black men reported seeing 5% more patient visits and working 18% more hours, while white women reported seeing 18% fewer visits and working 10% fewer annual hours. Women were more likely to be nonowner employees than men. White female obstetrician-gynecologists were less likely than the other groups to be board certified. After adjustment for work effort, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics, black men's mean reported annual income was 210,859 dollars, or 78,905 dollars (27%) lower than that for white men (95% confidence interval [CI] 120,082 dollars to 37,729 dollars lower; P < .001); white women's was 242,721 dollars, or 47,043 dollars (16%) lower (95% CI 70,127 dollars to 23,958 dollars lower; P < .001); and black women's was 246,355 dollars, or 43,409 dollars (15%) lower (95% CI 92,296 dollars to 5,478 dollars higher, P = .08).


CONCLUSIONS
During the 1990s, both black race and female gender were associated with substantially lower annual incomes among obstetrician-gynecologists. These findings warrant further exploration to ensure that income differences among physicians are not unjustly driven by race or gender.
Weeks
William B
WB
VA Outcomes Group REAP, VA National Quality Scholars Fellowship Program, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth, VT, USA.
Wallace
Amy E
AE
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017678:Sex Distribution; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data