- Higher attrition risk among female physicians: Female physicians had a 1.43 likelihood of leaving clinical practice compared with male physicians across the workforce.
- Consistent across settings and specialties: The higher likelihood of attrition persisted in both rural and urban settings and across all major specialty categories.
- Younger age at exit: Among those who left practice, female physicians exited at a median age of 49 years vs 64 years for male physicians.
- Specialty variation exists: The relative difference in attrition risk varied by specialty, with the largest gap observed in psychiatry and smaller but still significant differences in other specialties.
- Implications for workforce shortages: Higher attrition rates and earlier exits among female physicians may exacerbate projected US physician shortages and highlight the need for targeted retention strategies.
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