No discrimination in medicine?

[notanumber]

A FB friend posted a link to this publication in which she has a small article. (It's the Medical Student View at the bottom of pg 17)

The précis is that soon more than 50% of doctors will be women and that sexual discriminaion basically doesn't occur in the medical profession.

What are your thoughts?

Im sure that most of the doctors in the top positions at the moment are male but most will be old so give it a bit and women will filter to the top as well.

The text of the article below:

"Equality of opportunity is a contentious issuein any profession. Over the course of
the last century female medical students and
doctors have experienced extremes of both
derision and acclaim. It is estimated that by
2017 more than half of all doctors in the UK
will be women (Professor Jane Dacre, BBC
Radio 4, Woman?s Hour: 12 May 2010 ?
still available on Listen Again site).

However, I am still being asked if today,
as a medical student, I have ever experienced
discrimination to either my favour or detriment.

One could assume that given my penchant for working within male-dominated environments (I previously served in the British Military) I would have previous experience of either overtly misogynistic or gallant attitudes, but I can honestly say I have felt neither side of this spectrum to any degree that has made me feel different from my male colleagues.

Self-respect and the ability to project confidence and competence in clinical situations are key to one?s acceptance within the healthcare profession. The respect earned through academic integrity and appropriate enquiry far outweighs any pre-eminence having a penis would confer.

Additionally, my medical school reminds
all students that physical presentation
is key to clinical acceptance and performance, regardless of our gender. For
example, rather than a student?s choice of
clinical clothing being an issue of powerdressing or colour choice, we are referred to dress codes that emphasise both sexes maintain modesty and freedom to perform
clinical examinations without hindrance
or embarrassment.

I believe that equality and opportunity is less of an issue around gender and more a question of how either sex might project proficiency to reassure both colleagues and patients."

I'm sure its the same as the legal profession. Over 50% of those who qualify are female, but less then 1% of partners of firms in the legal 500 are female...........it all to do with having babies innit?

Dittany, I agree that there can't be individual solutions to collective problems, but she seems to be saying that there isn't a collective problem with sexual discrimination in medicine any more (I think the any more is key as it is acknowledging a problem in the past which has now been rectified).

She is basing this on:

a) her own experience (I know, the plural of anecdote is not data, but her experience doesn't count for nothing)

b) The 50% female doctors by 2017 statistic

What she is saying feels wrong to me, but I can't formulate why this is. Can you help?

Come back when you've had babies love.

Then tell us there's no discrimination.

HerBeatitude - the thing Helena Kennedy talked about at FIL conference regarding no progression?

Go on?

Mmmm, just thinking about the hospital I work in, lots of female consultants but I wouldn't say it was even close to 50%. When you take into account the most senior posts then I can only think of one woman off the top of my head.

General Practice seems to be more equal. Head of the Royal College is female iirc for what that's worth, and I do know of many women senior partners and practices which only have GPs who are women.

She is in her thirties...I wonder does this make a difference? Do "mature" female students suffer less from being treated unfairly due to their gender than young women in their twenties?

suzi, is being a GP less well regarded / has less status than other specialisms in medicine?
Why does General Practice attract more women?

Apologies, I am a teacher and no nothing of how the medical profession operates.

Hmm don't know. I doubt it in that younger women are generally not openly discriminated against in most industries as people tell them how welcome they are and how important it is that they are mentored and that women do well in the profession. It's only when they start having babies and asserting themselves and their rights, that they start to be unwelcome.

The thing is, we know that most senior doctors are male. And I would love to know the breakdown of doctor's income by gender.

From the BMA - it's from 2007 so slightly out of date.

Fewer women in senior positions despite new doctor numbers being almost 50/50

HerBeatitude - Sorry, was unclear (knackered with fractious toddler and teething infant.)

I meant, is the 50% thing misleading because it only looks at how many medical students qualify rather than the numbers who go on to practice or become high fliers?

And they will use the same excuse as every other profession, ie: "Women choose to downshift their careers because of babies".

No - GP working hours are relatively family friendly, easier to work part time and it's the same level as hospital consultant so better paid than a Staff Grade role which is a route quite often taken by women in hospital medicine (non-Consultant route)

Yes I would think so notanumber

I wouldn't be at all surprised if women of child-bearing age were hugely discriminated against when in competition for senior posts/competetive training posts.

I've got no evidence, but I can't see why medicine would escape the "well she'll just go off and have babies" mentality.

I don't know about now because the way that clinical excellence awards (very large sums of money awarded on a long term basis) are determined has changed, but until relatively recently these were disproportionately awarded to white male doctors. General Practice in the past has been very discriminatory as it is set up on a partnership basis with existing partners approving new ones, often through trial by tea. Hence the large numbers of Asian single handed practices in inner city areas. Many of these doctors came to the UK thinking that they would be consultants and became very disillusioned (GPs used to be paid considerably less than hospital doctors).

The other thing to look for would be the distribution within different fields of medicine. Some areas have far more prestige and are paid considerably more than others (and have access to private practice fees). Consider the difference between a surgeon and a geriatrician for example. I suspect there are fewer female surgeons than you might expect from the entry numbers.

I find the while idea that what you need to get rid of sexism is to make sure female participation is 50%+ to be bizarrely naive. If that were the case there would be no sexism in our society. Mixed schools would be bastions of equality and female friendliness and no teacher would find herself under promoted or her ideas ignored then appropriated by a male staff colleague.

Having 50/50 participation doesn't protect you from any of the general prejudices that our society holds about female/male skills and competencies.

Good point Such