Keywords
Medical Doctors
Career Advancement
Inequalities
Barriers
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction. Despite increasing numbers of women in medicine, they remain underrepresented in senior roles. Gender biases, lack of mentorship, work-family imbalance, and limited opportunities for advancement are among the factors that could hinder women’s career progression in the field. The study aims to investigate factors associated with the gender gap in career advancement in the medical field in Italy.
Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a survey among the members of the Professional Order of the Physicians and Dental Surgeons of the Province of Rome from October 2023 to February 2024, focusing on career advancement, work-family balance, workload control, and harassment. Four different career paths were identified: Academic researchers and professors (ARP), Employees (EM), Self-employed medical doctors (SE), and Physicians practicing in agreement with the NHS (PPAN). Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression were run to assess factors influencing career progress and workplace experiences across various medical careers.
Results. A survey of 260 physicians found significant differences in career advancement: males, older physicians, and PPAN had higher odds of career advancement. Logistic regression showed that age, gender, and career type were associated with career advancement, with gender having a borderline significant interaction with having children. Work-family balance, exhaustion, and control over work had no significant impact on advancement. Harassment was reported more by women (36.4%) than men (17.2%), particularly in the EM subgroup, and greater control over work was significantly linked to lower harassment odds.
Discussion. A lower publishing rate among female academic hospital physicians and the impact of parenthood could be the reasons behind gender disparities in career progression between male and female medical doctors. Despite all other factors, being a woman is one of the most significant characteristics in shaping career progression.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Elena Mazzalai, Federica Turatto, Giuseppe Furia, Aurora Heidar Alizadeh, Martina Sapienza, Maria Grazia Tarsitano , Cristina Patrizi, Giovanni Capelli , Rome OMCeO Group, Gianfranco Damiani, Corrado De Vito