title: Gender disparities in research productivity among 9952 academic physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The number of women in medicine has increased considerably over the past 3 decades, and they now comprise approximately half of medical school matriculants. We examine whether gender disparities in research productivity are present throughout various specialties and compare these findings to those previously described among otolaryngologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bibliometric analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research productivity, measured by the h-index, was calculated for 9,952 academic physicians representing 34 medical specialties. Additionally, trends in how rate of research productivity changed throughout different career stages were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women were underrepresented at the level of professor and in positions of departmental leadership relative to their representation among assistant and associate professors. Male faculty had statistically higher research productivity both overall (H = 10.3 ± 0.14 vs. 5.6 ± 0.14) and at all academic ranks. For the overall sample, men and women appeared to have equivalent rates of research productivity. In internal medicine, men had higher early-career productivity, while female faculty had productivity equaling and even surpassing that of their male colleagues beyond 20 to 25 years. Men and women had equivalent productivity in surgical specialties throughout their careers, and similar rates in pediatrics until 25 to 30 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female academic physicians have decreased research productivity relative to men, which may be one factor contributing to their underrepresentation at the level of professor and departmental leader relative to their proportions in junior academic ranks. Potential explanations may include fewer woman physicians in the age groups during which higher academic ranks are attained, greater family responsibilities, and greater involvement in clinical service and educational contributions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA. jean.anderson.eloy@gmail.com
authors.forename: Jean Anderson
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eloy
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Svider
authors.forename: Deepa V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Cherla
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kovalerchik
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: Soly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baredes
authors.forename: Sujana S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chandrasekhar
mesh_terms: D015706:Bibliometrics; D002322:Career Mobility; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012106:Research; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: H-index; academic appointment; academic productivity; academic promotion; gender disparities