You don't need to be a fan of television medical dramas to realize that many women are pursuing careers in the medical profession. In fact, a female doctor, assisted by a male nurse, is no longer an unusual sight. An article in the Oct. 2, 2006, edition of The Boston Globe reported that almost 50 percent of medical students are female. The female influence on the medical industry has been so significant that in 2005, the National Library of Medicine launched an exhibit titled "Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America's Women Physicians."
History
Despite the fact that women once were forbidden to become doctors, they have found ways throughout the centuries to enter the medical profession. Sophia Jex-Blake, for example, was part of a group of women who studied at the Extramural School of the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland. When the women were denied the opportunity to complete their studies there, Jex-Blake completed her degree abroad. She returned to Edinburgh and founded the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women in 1886.
Elizabeth Blackwell is another example. Her family came to America from England to open a sugar plantation. After being rejected by 16 medical schools, she was accepted by Geneva Medical College. Blackwell founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children in 1857.
Effects
An article on the Medical Economics website describes the effects women have had on the medical profession. The article cites a study performed by family practitioners Klea D. Bertakis and Peter Franks of the University of California Davis School of Medicine that found female doctors spend more time with their patients and are more likely to order preventive testing procedures.
Considerations
MomMD is a website for women in the medical profession. A survey released on the site in 2005 indicates that most female doctors were satisfied with their career choices but had some concerns about how their work may affect their obligations to their family. Provisions for pregnancy, child care and the availability of part-time work were common concerns.
Specialities
Women tend to specialize in family medicine, dermatology, psychiatry, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. Men still dominate gastroenterology, neurology and most of the surgical specializations.
Controversy
A controversial article about women in medicine was published in the April 2008 "British Medical Journal" in which the author argues that the flexible work schedules demanded by female physicians puts a strain on their male colleagues.
Catherine Arnst, a senior writer for Business Week Magazine wrote a commentary on the BMJ piece; "Are There Too Many Women Doctors?" was published in the April 17, 2008, edition of Business Week. In it, Arnst interviewed a New York area male internist who stated that his female co-workers' refusal to be on call meant that the men in the practice had to work harder.
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