What if the next groundbreaking innovation in healthcare is being lost because a girl was told 'science isn't for you'? This isn't just a hypothetical—it's the kind of discouragement my mentees share with me all the time!
Every day, brilliant women walk away from STEMM careers not because they lack talent, but because they lack support. But here's the thing - this story is changing, and you're about to see how.
In this 3-part article, I’ll explore the transformation in STEMM fields from several perspectives:
The growing representation of women in STEMM fields.
The slow but steady changes in representation of racial and ethnic minorities.
The contribution of immigrant STEMM workers.
In this first part, I will concentrate on women in STEMM and summarize my findings in only five data graphs.
But First: What Do All These Letters Mean?
STEM, STEMM, and STEAM
Remember when it was just called “science class”? Today, it’s known as STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. But that’s just the beginning.
When we add Medicine, it becomes STEMM, emphasizing the merging of healthcare and science, which rely on technology, data, and engineering for medical innovations. And when we include Art, it becomes STEAM, recognizing that creativity fuels breakthrough thinking.
The list of STEMM fields included in statistical analyses varies. Some organizations include biology, chemistry, and computer science, while others might combine architecture with health-related occupations. Most definitions include a "health professions" category, but this group does not include physicians. Keep this in mind because the way these fields are categorized can change how the statistics look.
Women in STEM: Wins and Walls
The gender gap in STEM education remains staggering. The numbers tell a heartbreaking story regarding all STEM degrees conferred in the 2021-2022 school year—the disparity is undeniable.
The same trend is true for the STEM workforce. Think about the team that designed your smartphone, programmed a platform you use at work, or built your computer. Chances are, most of the people involved were men. In fact, for every 10 people working in STEM today, only about 3 are women.
But wait - this isn't the whole story...
Female Representation by STEMM Field
There's a plot twist in this story that lies beneath the broad statistics. Simply looking at the overall picture misses both encouraging trends and areas where much more work is needed. Taking additional variables into account reveals new trends and provides a richer depiction of a woman scientist. These factors include the type of STEMM field she is studying, the level of degree she’s pursuing, and her race and ethnicity.
First, some good news: women are leading the way in fields like biology and biomedicine, law, education, and psychology. In these areas, female representation is so high that one has to wonder why men are so far behind!
Yet in other critical fields, like engineering, mathematics, and technology, women are still struggling to even get through the door.
This disparity is like a house where only some rooms are wide open and welcoming. Women who break through in specific fields show us that progress is possible—but their journeys are often filled with obstacles.
Imagine a world where every door in STEM was open for women. How many more leading innovators could emerge if the barriers were lifted?
What factors do you think contribute to these differences? To what extent do early education and stereotypes contribute to the disparities? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The Road to Gender Equity in Health Professions
The data on Health Professions deserves special discussion, not only because of personal interest but because looking at the overall picture may lead to incorrect conclusions once again. Women dominate in areas like nursing, where the difference between females and males is overwhelming—70,000 to just 10,000. Therefore, lumping all health occupations together doesn’t tell the whole story.
Keep in mind that the NCES defines Health Professions as a broad term that includes dental assisting, EMT paramedics, medical and health assistants, patient care assistants, registered nurses, and other types of nursing, and a larger bucket including 'other' health sciences. This category does not include MDs, DOs, or PhDs in medical fields.
Despite closing the gender gap in several of the health professions overall, female physicians remain underrepresented. In 2022, only 38% of active physicians were women—a notable increase from 26% in 2004, but still far from equal.
Ok. It's time for some good news. The number of female medical school applicants and graduates is increasing! But I will dedicate several editions of my newsletter to that topic. Stay tuned.
Climbing the Education Ladder: Where Women Fall Behind
As we move up the education ladder to advanced degrees, the picture becomes more concerning. Many talented women don’t make it to the highest levels. Why?
The numbers don’t lie. The further up the ladder we go, the fewer women we see. How many brilliant innovations are we missing out on because women aren’t supported enough to stay in STEMM careers?
Often, the barriers go beyond academics and don’t stop after graduation. A recent study found that as many as 40% of women physicians go part-time or leave medicine altogether within six years of completing their residencies. Financial burdens, family responsibilities, lack of support, and imposter syndrome often push these talented women out of the field.
What if we invested more in mentorship, mental health, and financial support for these students and professionals? How many more lives could be saved and how many breakthroughs could be made if these talented minds were given the resources they needed to thrive?
Conclusion:
We’re seeing progress—slow but steady. More women are leading in several STEMM fields, including many of the health professions, education, psychology, biology, and biomedical sciences, among others I did not discuss here.
But we can’t stop now. We need to build on these wins and work even harder to address the barriers that still exist across all STEMM fields, particularly in advanced-level degrees and positions in the workforce.
Right now, somewhere in America, a young woman is deciding whether to pursue her STEMM dreams or play it safe. She might cure a disease, design clean energy solutions, or create technology we haven't even imagined yet. But first, she needs to know she belongs. That's where you come in.
It’s not enough to cheer from the sidelines. We need mentors, allies, and advocates to actively break down the barriers that keep women out of STEMM fields. Imagine what could be possible if every young girl saw herself as a future scientist, engineer, or doctor. The time to act is now—because the future of innovation depends on all of us.
Every woman who fights her way into STEMM doesn’t just claim her own place—she opens the door for countless others.
Here are some of the things you can do to help:
If you're a woman in STEMM: Share your story. One classroom visit, coffee chat, or phone call, could be the push another woman needs to stay the course.
If you're hiring: Look twice at your recruitment practices. Are you really seeing all the talent out there?
If you're teaching: Those encouraging words you're thinking about saying to your female student? Say them. Today. It breaks my heart when a student tells me that their teacher or counselor said that "college is not for them."
If you're mentoring: Thank you. Keep going. You're changing lives.
If you need a mentor: Reach out. The women who broke these barriers before you are ready to help.
Thank you for reading. Don't forget to subscribe to receive notifications when parts 2 and 3 are published.
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