CHICAGO, IL - A new study says women physician-scientists are paid much less than their male counterparts. The salary difference over a career could pay for a college education, a spacious house, or even a retirement nest egg.

The study authors took into account factors that could affect salary, including choice of medical specialty and academic rank. They still found women earned on average about $12,000 less per year than men. Over a 30-year career, that adds up to more than $350,000.

They surveyed 800 doctors also working as researchers who had received prestigious federal grants. The results are being published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.