Equal pay and advancement for female physicians is webinar’s focus

Despite the significant advancements that female physicians are making within the medical field, some women doctors continue to face disparities related to income compared to their male counterparts. An upcoming webinar will discuss these issues and offer tips on how to advocate on your own behalf.

In the “Women in Pulmonary: Being an Advocate for Yourself” webinar sponsored by the CHEST Foundation, speakers Dr. Roozehra Khan, DO, FCCP, and Aneesa Das, MD, FCCP, will address topics such as work-life balance, advocating for leadership opportunities at work, being assertive and how to say no.  The event is scheduled for 3-4 p.m. CST March 21.

Women not advocating for themselves is a part of the issue, according to Dr. Khan. “Studies have shown that women don’t negotiate as much as men, and it may be contributing to the gender gap in salary,” Dr. Khan says. “Women aren’t bad negotiators. We just don’t do it for ourselves. We’ll do it for our best friends and loved ones. The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

According to the 2017 Medscape Pulmonologist Compensation Report, ​female​ pulmonologists earned 23% less than their male counterparts, and within the academic and research fields “between 80 to 90 percent of leadership roles, like medical schools deans, are filled by men.”

“Women in healthcare face many challenges like delayed academic advancement, unattainable leadership opportunities, and pay disparities,” Dr. Khan says. “The best tool you will ever have is knowledge.”

To register or learn more, visit hubs.ly/H0b8hJz0