When Physicians Marry Physicians: Gender Inequities in Work Hours and Income

Background: Physicians marry other physicians at a high rate, and theories suggest being married to a physician (MTP) may impact a physician's productivity in different ways. This impact may differ by gender and rurality of work location. This study empirically examines MTP's effects by gender and rurality of physicians' work location. Data and Method: This study uses both the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2019 National Sample Survey of Physicians (n = 6,000) and the American Community Survey data 2006–2017 (n = 72,900). We conducted cross-sectional, multivariate analysis with interaction terms between MTP, gender, and rurality, controlling for various work and personal characteristics. Results: A female MTP physician works 2.9 fewer hours (95% confidence interval [CI]: −4.3 to −1.4, p = 0.000) per week than a female non-MTP physician, while a male MTP physician's weekly work hours are not significantly different from a male non-MTP physician's. Compared to non-MTP counterparts, male MTP physicians are more likely to have on-call work, and female MTP physicians are much less likely to have on-call work; male MTP physicians earn $6,635 more (95% CIs: $1,613–$11,657, p = 0.010) per year, while female MTP female physicians earn $5,018 less (95% CIs: −$10,684 to $648, p = 0.083). Furthermore, the MTP-associated gender differential effects are more prominent for physicians in rural areas than in urban areas. Results from both datasets are highly comparable. Conclusions: MTP's effects widen the gender gap in physicians' work hours, on-call probability, and earnings. Understanding and examining the mechanisms for these gender differential effects are essential to promote equity in the physician workforce.