{"id":2170,"date":"2022-09-01T19:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T19:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2025-10-03T12:40:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T20:40:52","slug":"the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare","title":{"rendered":"The Past, Present, and Bright Future of Women in Healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">In This Article<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#Who_Were_the_Trailblazing_Women_in_Health_Care_and_Medicine\" >Who Were the Trailblazing Women in Health Care and Medicine?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#The_Law_that_Changed_the_Land\" >The Law that Changed the Land<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#The_State_of_Women_in_Health_Care\" >The State of Women in Health Care<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#What_are_the_disparities_and_challenges_for_women_in_medicine_and_health_care\" >What are the disparities and challenges for women in medicine and health care?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#Looking_Toward_the_Future\" >Looking Toward the Future<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Women make up nearly 70% of global healthcare professionals, 88% of nurses, and over 50% of U.S. medical students, yet challenges with bias and discrimination remain. Let&#8217;s take a moment to celebrate pioneering women in medicine and the diverse providers delivering care worldwide.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The earliest days of history offer multiple examples of women shifting from familial caregivers to acknowledged physicians. In ancient times, the Western world worshiped goddesses such as Hygeia and Sekhmet, who were both dedicated to the healing arts. In ancient Greece and Egypt, female adherents to these deities treated patients and studied the effectiveness of their methods and tools. Women physicians were common, regularly teaching their craft and performing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the power of Rome began to fade and history moved on to the Middle Ages, people started to look at women who practiced nursing and medicine with suspicion and malice. They were actively marginalized by the medical community and were regularly portrayed as witches rather than healers for the next five centuries. Yet a handful of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/2022\/09\/01\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">brave women<\/a>&nbsp;persevered to pave the way for their peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Were_the_Trailblazing_Women_in_Health_Care_and_Medicine\"><\/span>Who Were the Trailblazing Women in Health Care and Medicine?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nursing being treated as a profession goes back to Rome in 300 AD. Over the centuries, nursing became a relatively common occupation in Europe in the Middle Ages, due to the influence and support of the Catholic church. This practice continued throughout the 16th century but began to fade as monasteries were shut down. In 1860, the first nursing school was opened in London, England, and the foundation of modern nursing practices was established by women such as the famed Florence Nightingale and her peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Determining exactly which woman was the first to earn a medical degree from a modern medical institution is more challenging.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uab.edu\/medicine\/diversity\/initiatives\/women\/history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elizabeth Blackwell<\/a>, the first woman to earn her medical degree in the United States&nbsp;in 1849, is often attributed with this honor. However, almost a century earlier in 1754, Germany\u2019s Dorothea Erxleben earned her medical license from the University of Halle and spent much of her life encouraging other women to continue to challenge the status quo and improve the social conditions for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Law_that_Changed_the_Land\"><\/span>The Law that Changed the Land<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the many courageous, determined pioneers paving the way, the number of women studying medicine continued to lag far behind their male counterparts well into the 20th century. As of 1949, only 5.5% of medical students were women. Overt discrimination was a huge factor and social conventions discouraged many would-be female doctors and nurses from working outside the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came Title IX, a groundbreaking U.S. civil rights law that went into effect on June 23, 1972, outlawing any discrimination based on sex in educational programs that receive federal funding. And while Title IX was transformative for all women and girls living in the U.S., it was a revelation for women working in healthcare. By 1974 the number of women applying to medical school grew to more than 22%. As of 2022, women represent the majority of students going into medicine and even dominate select healthcare specialties. And, as of 2022, women represent the majority of students going into medicine and even dominate select healthcare specialties.&nbsp;specialties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_State_of_Women_in_Health_Care\"><\/span>The State of Women in Health Care<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks to those trailblazers, women are now a respected, needed, and (nearly) equal part of the healthcare workforce around the world. And while women still face greater barriers than men when entering STEM fields in general, and medical fields in particular, there is some reason for optimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/opub\/ted\/2022\/over-16-million-women-worked-in-health-care-and-social-assistance-in-2021.htm#:~:text=Source%3A%20U.S.%20Bureau%20of%20Labor,End%20of%20interactive%20chart.&amp;text=In%202021%2C%2016.4%20million%20women,million%20workers%20in%20the%20industry.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">women currently hold over 77% of healthcare jobs<\/a>. Since this field is growing quickly each year, that is great news for women\u2019s employment overall. However, these jobs do not include higher-paying leadership roles in healthcare organizations, but the number of women in executive roles and leadership is starting to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_disparities_and_challenges_for_women_in_medicine_and_health_care\"><\/span>What are the disparities and challenges for women in medicine and health care?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately,&nbsp;gender bias still dictates a lot of activity in health professions. Though this is changing, healthcare leadership is still male-dominated. Approximately 13% of healthcare CEOs are women. Though that number has risen steadily in recent years, it is still notably low and should be addressed in the short term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another big issue for women in healthcare is that sponsorship and mentorship are still hard to find. Gender bias skews heavily male-focused when senior medical professionals choose who they\u2019ll take under their wing. Some organizations are addressing this, such as U.S. healthcare corporation, Kaiser Permanente, by prioritizing the sponsorship of women in the organization. They have seen great results, with women in nearly half of their current executive roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another gender disparity to tackle is the focus mainly on male health issues with regard to medical research funding, with only 4% of funding focusing on women\u2019s health issues. The National Institute of Health<a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthywomen.org\/your-care\/past-time-invest-womens-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;reports funding upwards of $40M on health research<\/a>, only $5M of which goes to studying women\u2019s health. Research labs headed by women are far fewer than those run by men, and it is much more difficult for women to find funding for their projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, the wage gap between men and women in healthcare professions persists. Currently, women earn 24% less than men in the same positions, in spite of being such a large portion of the workforce. However, a recent government survey found that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/library\/stories\/2019\/08\/your-health-care-in-womens-hands.html#:~:text=Women%20Hold%2076%25%20of%20All,Gaining%20in%20Higher%2DPaying%20Occupations&amp;text=Women%20have%20driven%2080%25%20of,the%20turn%20of%20the%20century\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">women working in healthcare have gained higher salaries<\/a>&nbsp;at a faster rate than their male counterparts in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Looking_Toward_the_Future\"><\/span>Looking Toward the Future<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some of these statistics may be disheartening, there are a lot of organizations that have begun prioritizing gender equity in terms of employment, employee development, and promotion, as well as funding research for women\u2019s health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The healthcare workforce continues to grow, especially in the women-dominated field of nursing. The healthcare industry has begun&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/healthcareexecutive.org\/archives\/november-december-2019\/women-in-leadership#:~:text=Only%2013%20percent%20of%20healthcare,that's%20still%20a%20deep%20disparity.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">offering more mentorship opportunities and is becoming more intentional about mentoring and promoting women<\/a>&nbsp;into leadership positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, after seeing a lot of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/learn\/Mental_health_and_illness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">mental health<\/a>&nbsp;challenges and burnout among their employees leading to high turnover rates, many organizations\u2013from hospitals to doctor&#8217;s offices, to government agencies\u2013have started prioritizing the mental and physical wellness of staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, while industry leaders are predicting shortages of nurses and doctors in the coming years, the need to hire and retain staff could help pave the way for women in healthcare to expand into historically male-dominated specialties as well as lower or even eliminate the industry wage gap due to demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By supporting the current workforce and acknowledging the experience and knowledge of women in healthcare, we can bring constructive change to both healthcare and society.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Women have played a vital role in medicine since ancient times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical barriers limited women&#8217;s participation and advancement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title IX significantly increased women\u2019s access to medical education.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gender disparities persist in leadership and research funding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing efforts focus on mentorship, equity, and closing the wage gap.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/plans\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png 700w, https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Blog_Display_Ads_GENERAL2_2023.png?resize=300,107 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong><em>Try Osmosis today! Access your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/login?type=create\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free trial<\/a>\u00a0and find out why millions of current and future clinicians and caregivers love learning with us.<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn more about the pioneering women in medicine, their impact on healthcare, challenges faced, and the ongoing push for gender equality and leadership roles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":2171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,18,23,32],"tags":[1559,1560,1563,1005,84,408,563,1558,1562,1561],"class_list":["post-2170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medicine","category-equity-diversity-and-inclusion","category-healthcare-facts","category-nursing","tag-female-physicians","tag-gender-equity","tag-healthcare-diversity","tag-healthcare-leadership","tag-medical-education","tag-medical-history","tag-mentoring","tag-nursing-workforce","tag-wage-gap","tag-women-in-medicine"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Past, Present, and Bright Future of Women in Healthcare - Osmosis Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Past, Present, and Bright Future of Women in Healthcare - Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn more about the pioneering women in medicine, their impact on healthcare, challenges faced, and the ongoing push for gender equality and leadership roles.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Osmosis Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-01T19:35:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-03T20:40:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-11T133632.783.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Blythe Davenport, MFA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Blythe Davenport, MFA\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/93dddec40de63d6661be875016ebfc66\"},\"headline\":\"The Past, Present, and Bright Future of Women in Healthcare\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-01T19:35:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-03T20:40:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare\"},\"wordCount\":1196,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/the-past-present-and-bright-future-of-women-in-healthcare#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.osmosis.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/2024-09-11T133632.783.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"female physicians\",\"gender equity\",\"healthcare diversity\",\"healthcare leadership\",\"medical education\",\"medical history\",\"mentoring\",\"nursing workforce\",\"wage gap\",\"women in medicine\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Allopathic Medicine (MD)\",\"Equity, Diversity, Inclusion &amp; 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