Gender a Key Factor in Who Holds Endowed Chair Honors in Medicine

Women professors of medicine were significantly less likely than men to hold an endowed chair position, even when factoring in qualifications and experience. Researchers looked at endowed chairs and full professors from the departments of medicine at top medical schools. Of 1,654 full professors in the sample, 25% held endowed chairs. Among that group, 19% were women. Women full professors were significantly less likely to hold endowed chairs than men, even after factoring in specialty, degree, publication citations, funding and when they graduated medical school, according to the study, which is published in JAMA Internal Medicine. CBSSM's Director, Reshma Jagsi, was senior author on the article.