Not For Women!

[Julia Sarginson]

There was a poll conducted recently in the London Medical Student Newspaper which conlcuded that women still feel very negatively about surgery.
That;
a) They feel having a family would seriously damage their career prospects in surgery
b) That surgery is a "man's world"
and c) That women are better in 'listening roles' and 'family-centred healthcare'.
Do you agree?
Is there a place for women in surgery?
Is surgery a masculine persuit?
Does surgery not lend itself to the softer, more caring approach that women sometimes give to medicine?
And are women in surgery more suited/more likely to go in e.g. GI/obs/gynae than orthopaedics/neuro?
Any thoughts?

Julia - RF&UCMS

[ By the way - being a man's world is definately something that attracts me to surgery - but I feel it can benefit from a bit of female influence now and again. But do you have to be a particularly strong woman, and just ever-so slightly anti-femanist to get 'in-with'the-boys'???? Hum ... (ponders ...) ]

[cutes]

I'm sure there are loads of female surgens out there who would be outraged at this and although I understand how having a family might affect this career Im sure it's the same with any other doctor type career.
Im a female considering surgery and the affects of having a family hadn't crossed my mind until now...

[xXxSweet JalebixXx]

the career affecting family is very strong on my mind, its one of my worries which is swaying me to do GP work, even tho iw ud love to do surgery or specialise, its a shame, but im still thinking

[yeliab_cram]

Without being sexist, it does seem to be that if women want a family during their surgical training, they will miss out on surgery time and there will be some eager young man willing to take advantage.

From my experience on the wards surgery is still quite a boys club, but there ARE more and more women coming through, and one of the best surgical SHOs i met this year (and perhaps my role model) was female, she was great with the patients and had great technical skill, and was just generally lovely, but she is the only female i have come across in surgery this year!. However, i suppose seeing as us blokes are becoming slightly extinct at medical school these days its only a matter of time before things change and it becomes easier for both men and women to enjoy a career in surgery and spend some time with the family simultaneously!

Marc (Intercalating Medic - Leeds)

[andy2]

There are more and more female surgeons in training, and hence a steadily increasing number of female consultants - about 1/3rd of people who went onto basic surgical training from my year were women (from a year of 45% women). There are still unreconstructed attitudes amoungst many surgeons, but then having a thick skin is useful if you are a male or female trainee surgeon.
As careers go, surgery is probably least well set up for those who want to have children -but it can be done and as numbers of women in medicine steadily rise so even tradiotnally male dominated specialties will have to adapt and change or risk professional extinction.

[yeliab_cram]

well put!! i think it will be interesting to be around to witness the changes over the next few years... things are going to have to change!

[dybra]

I think so too...There has to be advances, and one of them, is more women in surgical training!!

[doc-to-be]

According to the Royal College of Surgeons of London, approx 70% of students at medschool are female, but only 6% of surgeons are female. I dunno whether this is cos of surgery just being considered unreachable because of family considerations and being male-dominated or what, but the College does have the WIST(Women In Surgical Training) to educate and promote an increase in the number of female surgeons. Lets hope things balance out a bit more!

[Varied A]

Does anybody remember Professor Black's comments about this about a year ago? Very thought provoking.

I do fear, however, that the problem with women becoming surgeons is more due to the womens' perception of the field rather than any physical barrier. If you develop an attitude that you can't do something, then very often you find that you can't...

[red_dillan]

Hey John,

what were Prof Blacks comments then?