This post was edited on 3/24/26 by xoxogossipgirl
Health disparities and unequal pay is nothing new to the ongoing feminism conversation. And yet, it continues to define the world we live in. The inspiration behind this post is simply the world around me telling me what I cannot do: earn equal pay as some of my future coworkers in the healthcare field.
As children we get told by family, friends, teachers that we can do anything we want to do in life. But is that just another myth we were told as kids? Santa is real. Easter Bunny is real. Tooth fairy is real. And the world is your oyster!
Want to be a vet? You can do it!
Want to be an astronaut? You can do it!
Scientist, Entrepreneur, Police Officer, Lawyer, Doctor, anything you want to do in life- you can do!
But as we grow up, the conversation looks a lot different.
I’ve known my whole life that I want to be in the healthcare field. One day, I was sat down by my biggest role model and was told the harsh truth that they don’t tell you as kids. She is an accomplished surgeon who makes significantly less money than her male coworker despite being there 10+ years longer, works more hours and holds a higher rank than him. She warned me that I will have to fight, sweat and demand just to attempt to get paid equally. This is a moment I will never forget and it truly changed my perspective of the world.
And it’s not a conversation that everyone has to have.
This is not a conversation that many straight white men have when entering the workforce. But it is one that women, especially women of color, and people from other racial and ethnic backgrounds have long before their careers begin.
When we’re told “you can do anything you want in life”, it quietly carries an asterisk. For some, it means just that. For others, it means you can pursue your desired career, but you’ll have to work harder, prove more, and still risk being paid less.
It does not matter how qualified you are.
It does not matter how many lives you save.
Too often, what matters is your race and gender. That reality will slap you in the face with every paycheck you get.
Female physicians on average earn 25% less than male physicians. This is not just an annual gap, it is also a wealth gap. Over the course of a career, that is $2 million less than a male counterpart.
See this post on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C8C_V_NshA6/?igsh=Z3p2cWludjB4d2F0
The pay gap between white men and everyone else exists all around us, not just in medicine. The fight for equal pay is more than a gender issue, it’s a racial justice issue too. True feminism must address how these inequalities overlap. Woman of color in particular experience the largest pay gaps, showing that systems of inequality overlap and reinforce one another.
As I work toward a career in healthcare, I don’t want to accept inequality as “just the way it is.” The next generation has the chance and the responsibility to speak up and demand fair systems.
I don’t ever want to sit down with a young woman who looks up to me and tell her she’ll have to work harder just because she’s a woman. I want to tell her that she can work hard, do great things and be valued fairly for them. I want anyone aspiring to be in the healthcare field, regardless of gender or race, to be able to hear, “you can do anything you want in life” without an asterisk.
I will leave you with one question: What would medicine look like if pay was truly based on performance instead of gender, race or identity?