Texas doctor apologises for saying gender pay gap is ‘fair’ since women doctors don’t ‘want to work the long hours’

Women in medicine are sharing their stories of gender pay gap discrimination on social media in response

Women demonstrating in support of equal rights

A doctor in Texas has apologised for claiming the gender pay gap is “fair” because women in medicine do not work as hard as men do.

Gary Tigges, a doctor in the city of Plano, made comments on the gender pay gap to the Dallas Medical Journal for the publication’s September issue. He is quoted saying “nothing needs to be done” about the gender pay gap, unless women decide to “work harder”. He also suggested that women physician’s priorities are generally elsewhere – not with their profession.

“Yes there is a pay gap,“ Dr Tigges said. ”Female physicians do not work as hard and do not see as many patients as male physicians. This is because they choose to, or they simply don't want to be rushed, or they don't want to work the long hours. Most of the time, their priority is something else...family, social, whatever.”

He added that nothing needed to be done about the gender pay gap unless women “actually want to work harder and put in the hours”.

Many have taken to Twitter to lambast Mr Tigges by calling attention to systemic gender discrimination displayed by the gender pay gap affecting women doctors in the US.

A 2017 study by Doximity, a platform for a community of healthcare professionals, found that women doctors earned 27.7 per cent less than their male counterparts.

A doctor who works in internal medicine shared on Twitter her personal experience with getting less pay in the profession.

“My productivity numbers were consistently at the top of the entire group. I found out six years in my per shift rate was 30 [per cent] less than all of my male colleagues, including new grads,” she added.

Another Twitter user wrote: “I am a resident in my third trimester of pregnancy, worked 75 hours this week...but [tell] me again how I prioritise family over work?”

Mr Tigges has apologised for his remarks in a statement published to his company’s website.

“I have heard from several trusted female physician colleagues who disagree with and are deeply hurt and offended by the comments I made to the Dallas Medical Journal regarding pay equity among female and male physicians,” he wrote.

“I want to thank them for reaching out to me and sharing their concerns. I now understand more clearly how intricate this issue is and that there are ways we can work together to resolve these disparities…”

However, some were not satisfied with Mr Tigges’ response to the backlash to his remarks and their ramifications.

“What happens when a male physician slams female physicians by saying women do not work as hard as men?” one Twitter user who is a pediatric ear nose throat doctor wrote. “Well, women rise up and roar with a unified voice. So, naturally, the misogynist defends himself...but digs a deeper hole.”