The American College of Physicians Is Working Hard to Achieve Gender Equity, and Everyone Will Benefit

The laudable goal of the American College of Physicians (ACP) is to “eliminate the inequities that exist in compensation and career advancement opportunities and provide a more inclusive environment to realize the full potential of all physicians” (1). Its position paper is timely and commendable but will not guarantee gender equity. After all, physician pay inequities persist despite 50 years of federal law mandating that men and women receive equal pay for equal work. That said, the importance of ACP's position paper cannot be overstated. It validates the lived experiences of women physicians and legitimizes equity efforts. But culture resists change, and medicine exists in a broader society where stereotypes about men and women are known (even if not personally endorsed): “agentic” for men (for example, strong, independent, and commanding) and “communal” for women (for example, nurturing, supportive, and modest). Without intent and despite disconfirming data, gender stereotypes influence patients' assessments of physicians; students' ratings of teachers; and decisions about who to admit, mentor, hire, reward, or fund. Stereotypes also affect individual men and women as they decide where they “fit” in the physician workforce. Drawn from research, the Figure lists how gender stereotypes threaten the realization of ACP's goal and suggests strategies to combat their influence.