Final answer:
As of the 2018-19 academic year, women constituted 48% of medical school graduates, reflecting a significant increase from the 1970s. However, women continue to experience underrepresentation in higher academic and professional ranks within the medical field and face a wage gap compared to men.
Step-by-step explanation:
The percentage of women in medical school cohorts has seen a gradual increase over the years. As of the 2018-19 academic year, women made up 48% of medical school graduates. This is a significant rise compared to the situation in the 1970s when only 8.4% of the degrees from medical schools were awarded to women.
Despite this progress, women in the field of science and medicine continue to face underrepresentation, particularly in the higher echelons of academia and professional practice. While women now receive just over 50% of law degrees and slightly more than men constitute medical school populations, they are less represented in tenure-track positions and full professorships, and they earn significantly less than their male counterparts.