20 Feb 2019
“In 1849 a woman named Elizabeth Blackwell became the United States’ first licensed female physician. She was actually originally admitted to medical school in jest, but she flourished against overwhelming odds. On February 3 (Elizabeth Blackwell’s birthday), approximately 170 years later, we celebrated National Women Physicians Day. Launched a few years ago, the now nationally recognized holiday draws attention to women’s success rates in the medical field, and also acknowledges their historically stunted recognition and compensation. In 2016 a massive study at Harvard University was undertaken that ultimately uncovered an “atrocious wage gap”, showing that female physicians are paid on average at least 8% less than their male colleagues, despite equal qualifications.
While medicine in general is not immune from inequality, Regional Urology prides itself in working very hard to maintain exact equality in wages and benefits. Dr. Alison Spann and I joined the practice in 2013 as the first employed female physicians in Regional Urology history, later achieving partner status in 2015. While our vacation days are often used for events in our children’s lives instead of luxury vacations, we are proud to work in a supportive and fair environment that nurtures us as women and physicians with respect, equal wages, and access to leadership positions.”
-Dr. Ashley Baker
Dr. Ashley Baker is one of the two female physician partners in the practice. Since achieving partner status in 2015, she has risen to leadership as a Board Member for the practice and the Medical Director. Both Dr. Alison Spann and Dr. Ashley Baker are valuable physician partners and well respected in the practice. Regional Urology is thankful for both of them and their commitment to the practice, urology, and our community of patients.