8 challenges unique to women physicians

While all physicians grapple with issues including burdensome workloads and high levels of stress, women in medicine face added challenges that can impact their career advancement, earning and overall well-being.

These barriers persist in 2025, despite the growing number of women entering the field. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) the majority of incoming medical students have been female since 2017. In the 2024-25 academic year, 56.8% of applicants, 55.1% of matriculants and 54.9% of total enrollees in U.S. medical schools were women.

Although this shift signals progress, equal representation at the collegiate level has yet to fully translate into parity in higher ranks of medicine. Women physicians remain underrepresented in leadership roles and top-paying specialties — a phenomenon often referred to as the "leaky pipeline."

The slides above represent just some of the unique challenges that women physicians face in practice today.