Diversity Resources and
Data Snapshots
March 2012 Edition
Diversity Policy and Programs & the
Center for Workforce Studies
Physician Workforce Research:
Focus on Physician Race and Ethnicity
AAMC’s Center for Workforce Studies conducted a series of
analyses focusing on physician race and ethnicity with data from its
Surveys of Physicians Under and Over 50 (two nationally
representative sample surveys conducted in 2006). The third of
three installments in the Diversity Resources and Data Snapshots
series featuring this research, results reported here focus on
physician financial status.
Physician Race & Ethnicity:
Financial Status
• Black/African American physicians consistently report
not doing as well financially as other physicians.
• Mean student debt level at graduation varies
tremendously by race and ethnicity, and it is highest for
Black/African American physicians.
• Controlling for other factors, such as IMG status, sex,
practice setting and specialty, Black/African American
physicians are only about half as likely as white
physicians to report a financial status that is very good
or excellent.
Black/African American physicians less likely than
others to report practice to be very or extremely
economically viable (2006)
60%
54.5%
47.4%*
40%
47.1%
33.6%*
20%
0%
Asian or Pacific
Islander (NH)
Black/African
American (NH)
White (NH)
Hispanic
Notes: 1) * p<0.05 with white, non-Hispanic as reference group; 2) NH = non-Hispanic/Latino; 3) Physicians
are active, patient care only; 4) item not included on survey for physicians under 50 years of age; 5) Native
American, Multiple Races & others excluded due to small numbers.
Black/African American physicians less likely than
others to report very good or excellent financial
status (2006)
60%
52.5%
43.6% *
40%
37.9% *
31.3%*
20%
0%
Asian or Pacific
Islander (NH)
Black/African
American (NH)
White (NH)
Hispanic
Notes: 1) * p<0.05 with white, non-Hispanic as reference group; 2) NH = non-Hispanic/Latino; 3) Physicians
are active, patient care only; 4) Native American, Multiple Races & others excluded due to small numbers.
Mean debt at graduation is highest for
Black/African Americans than others (2006)
Asian or Pacific Islander (NH)
* $35,824
$62,091
$83,089
Black/African American (NH)
* $94,850
$67,692
White (NH)
$70,879
* $53,001
Hispanic
$70,389
Total
Non-IMGs
Notes: 1) * p<0.05 with white, non-Hispanic as reference group; 2) NH = non-Hispanic/Latino; 3) Physicians
are active, patient care only; 4) Native American, Multiple Races & others excluded due to small numbers; 5)
item not included on survey for physicians over 50 years of age.
Modeling financial status: all physicians
Financial status very good or excellent
Selected variables in the equation
B
Asian/Pacific Islander (NH)
-0.08
Black/African American (NH)
-0.54
Sig.
Exp(B)
0.92
**
0.58
Hispanic
0.11
Other race/ethnicity (NH)***
0.40
*
1.49
IMGs
-0.68
**
0.51
Female
-0.25
**
0.78
Group practice
0.63
**
1.88
Hospital
0.38
**
1.46
Other setting
0.39
**
1.48
Primary care
-0.37
**
0.69
0.14
*
1.16
Controllable lifestyle specialty
1.12
Notes: 1) * p<0.05 /** p<0.01with non-Hispanic whites, non-IMGs, males, solo practice and other specialty as
reference groups; 2) NH = non-Hispanic/Latino; 3) Physicians are active, patient care only;.
Additional resources
• More physician workforce related research and data reports
are available from AAMC’s Center for Workforce Studies:
https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/workforce/
• And from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis:
http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/index.html
• Resources on AAMC’s diversity and inclusion initiatives:
https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/diversity/
Contact Information
For more information regarding the physician
workforce, please contact:
Michael J. Dill
Senior Data Analyst
Association of American Medical Colleges
mdill@aamc.org
Contact Information
Sarah Schoolcraft
Senior Research Analyst
Diversity Policy and Programs
Association of American Medical Colleges
202-828-0560
sschoolcraft@aamc.org
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