From the Research
Demographics of Obstetricians (OBGYN)
- The proportion of female obstetrician-gynecologists has been increasing over the years, with a study from 1 showing that in 2018,57% of academic physicians in obstetrics and gynecology were female.
- Another study from 2 found that in 2016,61.9% of obstetrician-gynecologists were female, which is higher than other adult medical specialists.
- A more recent study from 1 found that the proportion of women in academic obstetrics and gynecology increased by 15% over a 12-year period, with women making up 64% of all academic physicians in obstetrics and gynecology.
Trends in Female OBGYNs
- The study from 1 also found that the representation of women in academic obstetrics and gynecology has increased over the years, with a significant increase in the proportion of women in higher academic ranks, leadership positions, and tenure.
- However, despite the increasing proportion of female obstetrician-gynecologists, there is still a trend for a predominance of white and male physicians in higher academic ranks, leadership positions, and tenure, as found in the study from 1.
- The study from 3 found that the gradual increase in proportion of ob-gyns who are women coincides with desires for more work-life balance and earlier retirement from clinical practice.
Patient Preferences
- A study from 4 found that 66% of female patients preferred a female OBGYN, while 8% preferred a male OBGYN, and 25% had no preference.
- However, when asked to rank the most important qualities in selecting their OBGYN, gender was listed among the top 3 important qualities by only 8% of respondents, as found in the study from 4.