demographics of women in biomedical research*: what is the ... · demographics of women in...
Post on 18-Mar-2020
7 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Demographics of women in biomedical research*:
What is the current reality?
Women in Biomedical Research: Best Practices for Sustaining Career Success
March 4, 2008
Timothy J. Ley, MD Washington University Medical School, St Louis MO
* With emphasis on physician-scientists
The overall message: The physician-scientist
career path is at steady- state.
(wild cards: age and gender)
Num
ber o
f Phy
sici
ans
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
700,000
800,000Patient care
Teaching
Research
Num
ber o
f Phy
sici
ans
1980 1982 1985 1988 1990 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 20050
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000Teaching
Research
AMA
Number of physicians has doubled in the past 25 years
Number of physician-scientists has not changed.~1000 new physician-scientists per year required to achieve steady-state
So, what’s the concern?
Sustained trends in the demographics may soon perturb the steady-state
1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Year
% R
PG A
war
ds, P
I old
er th
an 5
0
NIH funded scientists are getting older
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2006
MDMD-PhDPhD
NIH
Year
% M
edic
al S
tude
nts
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0malefemale
1981 20071983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005
And the gender of medical students has shifted to equality
AAMC
Year
0
30,000
60,000
90,000Male
Female
U.S
. Med
ical
Sch
ool F
acul
ty
1996 1997 20061998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
With no change in the proportion offemale medical school faculty
AAMC Faculty Survey
Year
0.0
20.0
50.0
60.0
% f
emal
e
1996 1997 20061998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
40.0
30.0
10.0Professor
4,226: 23,419
Asst Professor
17,725: 28,922
Assoc Professor
6,824: 17,945
Student
6,130: 6,235
Instructor
2006Women: Men
AAMC
And very slow increases in the proportion of womenat all career stages, linked to growth at entry
10-15% attrition occurs at every stage of the academic ladder
Projected year of equality (assume no change in trends):
• Instructor: 2005• Assistant Professor: 2023• Associate Professor: 2038• Full Professor: 2058
Key demographic issues:
• Total physician-scientist numbers are currently at steady-state, BUT
• NIH funded biomedical scientists are getting older
• More women entering medicine• Disproportionate career attrition for women
The career path from 30,000 feet:
The database of NIH Research Project Grant
awardees by age, gender, and degree type
Year
Tota
l RPG
Dol
lars
(bill
ions
)
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Funding of Research Progress Grants over the past 15 years
NIH
RPG=Research Project Grants (2/3 of NIH budget)R00, 01, 03, 15, 21, 22, 23, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 55, 56
P01, P42, PN1UC1, UC7, U01, U19
DP1, DP2
Female Male
40
45
50
55
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD - applicantsMD-PhD - applicantsPhD - applicants
MD - awardeesMD-PhD - awardeesPhD - awardees
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Year
Ave
rage
Age
All RPG applicants and grant holders are getting older:Females are 3-4 years younger than males
Tota
l fun
ded
RPG
s in
200
7
Investigators under 50
0100020003000400050006000700080009000
10000
MD MD-PhD PhD Total
Investigators 50 and older
MD MD-PhD PhD Total0
100020003000400050006000700080009000
10000
Female Male
Progressively fewer female RPG grant holders with age: lowest numbers for physician-scientists
% Decline of female RPG grant holders with age:biggest for MDs (2007 data)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
MD MD-PhD PhD Total
Under 50 yearsOver 50 years
0200
400
600800
100012001400
160018002000
Female Male
1998 2000 2002 200620041998 2000 2002 20062004
MD MD/PhD
1998 2000 2002 200620040
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000PhD
Tota
l peo
ple
with
RPG
s
These are longstanding trends, and are not changing
When are women leaving the career path?
An assessment from “cradle to grave”
Are young women entering medicine equally prepared for science careers? • Do matriculating female medical school students
have equal MCATs and GPAs?• Is there growth in female matriculants to MD-
PhD programs?• Does there continue to be interest in research
careers among medical school students?
MCAT verbal
8.0
8.5
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0MCAT Physical Sci MCAT Biol Sci
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Male
Female
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
AAMC
Female medical school matriculants score slightlylower* on the MCAT in physical and biological sciences
* Note scale
GPA Overall
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
GPA Science
3.30
3.40
3.50
3.60
3.70
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Total MCAT Score
24.0
25.0
26.0
27.0
28.0
29.0
30.0
31.0
32.0
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Male
Female
AAMC
Matriculating female medical students haveslightly lower MCATs, but identical GPAs
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
1990
Md-
PhD
Mat
ricul
ants
, US
1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
Female
Male
Total
Year
700
Recent growth in MD-PhD programs is all from females
AAMC
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
87 90 93 96 99 02
Perc
ent o
f Res
pond
ents
GraduatingMatriculating
Exclusive or Significant Interest in Research
05
Interest in Research & Teaching (graduates)
0
5
78 82 86 90 94 98 02 060
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06
1
2
3
4
Clinical Sciences Basic Sciences
AAMC MSQ and GSQ
Graduating medical students have displayedincreased interest in research careers since 2005
When does career attrition begin?
• Do grant applications and success rates change as careers progress?– Early Fellowship? (LRPs)– Late Fellowship? (K23 for patient-oriented research,
K08 for basic and translational reseach)– First time R01/RPG applicants?– Previously funded R01/RPG applicants?
Year
LRP
App
lican
ts
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
FemaleMale
No Response
The majority of first-time LRP applicants are female
LRP
Success rates are identical:in 2007, 44% for males, 43% for females
Year
LRP
appl
ican
ts
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
MD - female MD - malePhD - female PhD - male
MD-PhD - female MD-PhD - male
Equal numbers of female & male MD applicants:2:1 female PhD applicants
LRP
Female Male
Year
0
50
100
150
200
250
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD-PhD appsPhD apps
MD apps
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD-PhD - awardsPhD - awards
MD - awards
Gender equality for K23 applicants* and awardees
* Decline since 2005 is of concern
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD
Succ
ess
Rat
e
MD-PhD PhD
Female Male
Year1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Equal K23 success rates for both gendersand all degrees
Female Male
Year
0
50
100
150
200
250
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD-PhD - appsPhD - apps
MD - appsMD-PhD - awardsPhD - awards
MD - awards
But the KO8 pool has only half as many female applicants!
MD
KO
8 Su
cces
s R
ate
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%MD-PhD PhD
1998 2000 2002 2004 20061998 2000 2002 2004 20061998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Female Male
Year
And equal success rates for bothgenders and all degrees
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
Year1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Female – appsMale – apps
Female - awardsMale - awards
Female Male
Applications and Awards Success Rate
But they have equal success rates
First Time RPG applicants: Only half as many females apply
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD MD-PhD PhD
Year
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Female - apps Male - apps
0
150
300
450
600
750
900
1,050
1,200
1,350
1,500
Male - awardsFemale - awards
0
150
300
450
600
750
900
1,050
1,200
1,350
1,500
First Time R01 applicants: Female physician-scientist applicant ratio is lowest
1998 2000 2002 2004 20061998 2000 2002 2004 20060.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD
Succ
ess
Rat
e
MD-PhD PhD
Female Male
Year
But equal success for First Time R01 applicantsregardless of gender or degree
Year
Female – appsMale – apps
Female - awardsMale - awards
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1998 2000 2002 2004 20060.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Previously Funded Investigators Success Rate
Female Male
Attrition progresses with experienced investigators:Only ~1/3 as many Previously Funded female RPG applicants
In the Previously Funded R01 pool, progressiveloss of applicants: worst for physician-scientists
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
MD MD-PhD
Year
Female - apps Male - apps
1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
PhD
1998 2000 2002 2004 20060
1,500
3,000
4,500
6,000
7,500
9,000
10,500
12,000
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
4,000
Male - awardsFemale - awards
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%MD
Succ
ess
Rat
e
MD-PhD PhD
Female Male
Year1998 2000 2002 2004 20061998 2000 2002 2004 20061998 2000 2002 2004 2006
Despite equal success for all degrees and both genders
Summary 1• The number of US physician-scientists is
currently at steady-state• Changing age and gender demographics are
creating potentially unstable conditions– Aging of the funded investigator pool– Disproportionate career attrition for women
• Equal numbers of men and women enter the career path, but women leave at ~2-3 times the rate
• Attrition is most severe for female physician- scientists
Summary 2
• Female career attrition starts at the late-post doc stage and is progressive
• Females who leave the career path apparently choose to do so, despite the fact that they are equally qualified, and equally successful at obtaining NIH funding at all stages
The undeniable reality in 2008:
• The academic medicine career path was created by men--for men--several generations ago in a highly patriarchal culture
• The basic organization of the career path has not changed since then
• Some experiments designed to change this trend have been initiated at local levels, but no significant change is yet apparent nationally
• A massive shift in the career culture of medical/graduate schools will be required to change these trends
LRP
Kawards
R01s
Acknowledgements• NIH Division of Information Services (Israel
Lederhendler)– Bob Moore, Ernest Stalder, Zhuohong Liu
• AAMC– Gwen Garrison, Jay Youngclaus, Hershel Alexander
• AMA– Derek Smart
• LRP office– Steve Boehler, Peggy Reed
• Rhonda Ries, Marcy Hartstein, Anna Ley (tables and illustrations)
• Lee Rosenberg, Princeton• Barton Hamilton, Wash U. Olin School of Business• Alan and Edith Wolff Chair
top related