Physician apologizes after saying female doctors don’t work as hard

A Plano, Texas-based physician came under fire for stating the gender wage gap among physicians exists because female doctors don’t work as hard.

The statement from Gary Tigges, which appeared in the September issue of the Dallas Medical Journal, was immediately met with backlash, Dallas News reported.

"Yes, there is a pay gap," Tigges wrote. "Female physicians do not work as hard and do not see as many patients as male physicians. This is because they choose to, or they simply don't want to be rushed, or they don't want to work the long hours. Most of the time, their priority is something else. ... Family, social, whatever."

The quote was in response to a question about whether physicians believe the pay gap exists and what can be done about it.

Tigges has since apologized for any offense in his statement, arguing he didn’t know it would be published and was taken out of context.

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Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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