The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) supports fair and transparent compensation and the concept of equal pay for equal work as defined by Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Despite this legislation, which clearly identified and validated the measurable, unacceptable differential in existing salary and benefit packages, the actions of the subsequent fifteen years have failed to remedy the situation.
Compensation packages should include pay for clinical work performed as measured by RVU generation or comparable process, pay for teaching and research activities, required department/practice administrative duties and provide necessary administrative and clinical support to accomplish required duties. Career development packages should include education and training opportunities based on an individual’s needs and career path. Benefit packages should include adequate, minimum leave for family leave in addition to comparable PTO and sabbatical policies.
These packages should be transparent and based on services performed and comparable levels of experience, not on any demographic characteristics of the individual performing these services.
Approved September 2024
References:
- Tompkins AJ, Alexander RE, Boisoneau DS, Chen TT, Chiu AG, Coughlin AM, Schmalbach CE, Denneny JC, Farrell MA. Leadership Team and Workforce and Socioeconomic Survey Task Force. Alexandria, VA. American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 2022.
- Physician Compensation Report 2024. Doximity + Curative. 2024. https://www.doximity.com/reports/physician-compensation-report/2024
- Ly DP, Seabury SA, Lena AB. Differences in incomes of physicians in the United States by race and sex: observational study. BMJ. 2016;353:i2923.
- Butkus R, Serchen J, Moyer DV, Bornstein SS, Hompson Hingle S. Achieving Gender Equity in Physician Compensation and Career Advancement: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians. Annals of Intern Med. 2018;168:721-723.
Important Disclaimer Notice (Updated 7/31/14)
Position statements are approved by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery or Foundation (AAO-HNS/F) Boards of Directors and are typically generated from AAO-HNS/F committees. Once approved by the Academy or Foundation Board of Directors, they become official position statements and are added to the existing position statement library. In no sense do they represent a standard of care. The applicability of position statements, as guidance for a procedure, must be determined by the responsible physician in light of all the circumstances presented by the individual patient. Adherence to these clinical position statements will not ensure successful treatment in every situation. As with all AAO-HNS/F guidance, this position statement should not be deemed inclusive of all proper treatment decisions or methods of care, nor exclusive of other treatment decisions or methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. Position statements are not intended to and should not be treated as legal, medical, or business advice.
