To evaluate gender-based compensation disparities among academic ophthalmologists from 2016 to 2024.
Approach:
Key Findings:
Women earned 85 to 91 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2024, with specific figures for each academic rank.
Clarify that compensation parity is projected only at the assistant and associate professor levels, not at higher ranks.
Interpretation:
The study highlights persistent gender-based salary inequities in academic ophthalmology, with significant implications for women's career advancement, financial stability, and generational wealth.
Limitations:
Include a note on the absence of race and ethnicity data, which is crucial for understanding the full scope of disparities.
Conclusion:
Gender-based salary inequity is a systemic issue in academic ophthalmology that undermines women's professional growth and financial security.
Nearly 10 years of observational follow-up suggested sustained axial-length slowing, although refractive findings were less consistent and comparisons relied on statistical modeling.