Voices of Women in Medicine: Reflections on Structural Inequities, Resilience, and Pathways Forward

Despite growing representation in medicine, women physicians continue to face persistent inequities in pay, leadership, and recognition. To gain a deeper understanding of their lived experiences, we conducted interviews and surveys with 22 women physicians from across the United States and Canada. We analyzed 309 narrative excerpts using a mixed-methods thematic analysis. Seven key themes emerged: early influences and role models, family and life-course pressures, gendered dynamics in daily practice, structural inequities, wellness and burnout, leadership and mentorship, and visions for the future of medicine. Participants described how career demands often conflicted with family responsibilities, how bias and misidentification shaped legitimacy, and how systemic burdens intensified burnout. Yet they also emphasized the strength of resilience, mentorship, and optimism regarding technology, as well as collective advocacy. These narratives suggest that achieving gender equity in medicine is essential not only to ensure justice among clinicians but also to sustain compassionate, high-quality patient care.