Bloody hell! So my friend's 3yo daughter told her GP she wanted to be a doctor ...

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

and this is what happened:

"So, DD has got really interested in bones, muscles, what's in the body etc last few weeks. Yesterday we got lots of great books with pictures out of the library and she decides she wants to be a bone-fixing doctor, sawing up bones and pinning them together. Brilliant. Today she volunteers this to the GP, who tells her most orthopedic surgeons are men and it's much too difficult for women to make it. FFS"

I mean, really??!!! What sort of message is this?!

Anyway, I asked my friend if I could post this here as I am really interested in what other people have to say about it.

A mancave? I suppose I'll go get my club and go hunting animals then

'Sokay, edd. You stay in there and stoke the fire. I'll pop by later with the leftovers from today's antelope hunt

You're going to need this hunting rifle, i'm told it's good for hunting trolls

Mmm, troll stew! Yummy

When I showed even a passing interest in ortho at med school and as an intern the HOD was all over me trying to get me to apply for jobs in ortho's. They were desperate for women as in the department.

Just saying.

I am a brain surgeon. I worked in orthopaedics before specialising and it is nothing to do with physical strength or anything else. There is absolutely NO reason why women cannot do it - the hours ARE ridiculous though. I'm 38+3 with my first and still working full-time. I took my MRCS exam at 5 months pregnant. I did three weekends on the bounce and worked three 80-hour weeks consecutively during weeks 34,35,36 of pregnancy. I am only taking 4.5 months mat leave as I have to go back, full time, ASAP. Work-life balance is non-existent, and I think these are the reasons why many women (and men) shy away from surgical careers. The lifestyle of a GP (no out-of-hours work & lots of part-time opportunities) is much more civilised.
Encourage your daughter as much as you can. Surgery is a wonderful career and I would never do anything else! Good Luck!