The recent Doximity research study that revealed an average national wage gap between male and female physicians of $105,000 was greeted by some healthcare professionals as "old news," while to others it seemed one more thread in the national fabric of the discussion on women's rights in the era of #metoo. Yet this income disparity could also contribute to physician burnout—a diagnosis that is higher among female physicians than their counterparts.

In 2017, the national gender gap for physicians increased, as female doctors earned 27.7 percent less than their male counterparts—an even bigger gap than the national average, according to the Doximity survey.

This news comes at a time when the topic of women's rights both in and out of the workplace has never been more volatile, and women's voices are being heard as never before. There has even been movement toward reviving the Equal Rights Amendment, with the Nevada Legislature last year becoming the first to ratify the ERA after the expiration of the original deadline—45 years after Congress submitted the amendment to the states. New ERA legislation is currently pending in several other states.

Discussing the gender gap and wage disparities in medicine during this episode is Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, a physician advisor for case management, utilization, and clinical documentation at ProHealth Care, Inc. in Wisconsin.

Other segments featured in this episode include:

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