Female physicians who have financial ties with the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry are paid significantly less than their male colleagues, a US study reports.

After controlling for speciality, age and institutional reputation the study authors from the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio found that female physicians were paid US $41.80 less for meals (P<0.001), $2898.44 less for speaker fees (P<0.001).

But what was most concerning was that females were paid almost $15K less per year for research funding, the study authors said.

“Given that research funding is a key component for promotion for physician-investigators, this may put women at a particular disadvantage,” the researchers wrote in PLoS One.

“Regardless of whether one is a proponent of more restrictive approaches or is an advocate of physician-industry collaboration, these results point to a previously unreported gender difference that merits recognition,” they concluded.