Role of sex in academic dermatology: Results from a national survey

Objective: To determine whether there is an association between sex and academic rank and track, leadership, productivity, income, and career satisfaction. Design: National cross-sectional survey. Setting: Academic dermatologists across the United States. Participants: A total of 1263 full-time academic dermatologists. Main Outcome Measures: The association of sex with the following predictive variables: rank, promotion, academic productivity, leadership, salary, and career satisfaction. Results: Of the 343 respondents (27.2% response rate), 259 were full-time academic dermatologists, of whom 159 (61.4%) were men. Men held more senior positions (P<.001) even after adjustment for age (P<.02) and number of years since completion of residency (P<.05). Men were also more likely to occupy investigative career tracks (26.5% vs 11.1%), whereas women predominantly occupied clinical educator tracks (81.5% vs 50.0%) (P=.03). There was no significant difference in the hours worked between men and women (P=.052), and after controlling for academic rank, there was no difference in number of publications (P=.06) or grants received (P=.19). Difference in yearly salary became insignificant when adjusted for rank and other variables ($20 000 decrement for women; P=.12). Although most men (90.3%) and women (82.8%) were satisfied with their career, women were 24.6% more likely than men to consider leaving academia (P<.001). Conclusions: Sex-based differences in academic dermatology, including career track, academic rank distribution, leadership, and career satisfaction, persist. Measures that enhance the subjective rewards (eg, influence, collegiality, and mentorship) of academics and increased family-friendly measures for early-career academicians are important to close these gaps.