A new quiet majority in medicine raises big questions

Becker’s Hospital Review – Tuesday, February 24, 2026
By Erica Cerutti and Kristin Kuchno

For the first time, women now make up the majority of physicians in U.S. training programs, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges’ annual report on residency trends.

In the 2024-25 academic year, women accounted for 50.2% of residents and fellows across all specialties and subspecialties, per the report. The figure marks a stark contrast from the 1970s, when women comprised less than 10% of physicians, and reflects decades of steady growth in female representation in medical schools and training programs.

But the milestone lands in an industry that remains far from gender parity. Women represent 38% of the active physician workforce as of 2022, up from 26% in 2004, AAMC data shows. They remain underrepresented in higher-paying specialties and senior leadership roles, with persistent pay gaps and high rates of harassment continuing to shape many physicians’ career trajectories.

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