Doctors trending to the female persuasion?
Well, I've got a new theory. And a recent discussion with my (female) doctor more or less confirmed it. But only the manifestation, not the cause. And the cause is what interests me and is the subject of my speculation here.
Okay, plain English, please. It appears to me that a lot of doctors these days are female. Whole practices are made up of females only. And not just OB/GYNs (although the male doctors are evidently complaining that they experience discrimination in this field by patients (women) who - get this - prefer to go to women doctors!) Anyway, back to my theory. More and more women are going into medicine (med school classes that used to be 28-30% female are now 50% or even a majority of women). More and more articles are being written about how the practice of medicine is no longer very lucrative, for whatever reason. And about how male doctors want to have a life - "spend more time with their families," (a politician's well-worn euphemism for wanting to get out).
My theory is that men are getting out of the business because it doesn't pay as well as it used to, and women have historically been willing to take lower-paying work (look at teaching, for example). So as men move away from medicine, the opportunities open up significantly for women to move in.
Just a theory to explain an increasingly obvious trend. Comments, anyone?
Okay, plain English, please. It appears to me that a lot of doctors these days are female. Whole practices are made up of females only. And not just OB/GYNs (although the male doctors are evidently complaining that they experience discrimination in this field by patients (women) who - get this - prefer to go to women doctors!) Anyway, back to my theory. More and more women are going into medicine (med school classes that used to be 28-30% female are now 50% or even a majority of women). More and more articles are being written about how the practice of medicine is no longer very lucrative, for whatever reason. And about how male doctors want to have a life - "spend more time with their families," (a politician's well-worn euphemism for wanting to get out).
My theory is that men are getting out of the business because it doesn't pay as well as it used to, and women have historically been willing to take lower-paying work (look at teaching, for example). So as men move away from medicine, the opportunities open up significantly for women to move in.
Just a theory to explain an increasingly obvious trend. Comments, anyone?
posted by alison @ 9:04 AM
1 Comments:
At 12:31 PM,
Hope said…
I don't know if I can give a detailed opinion on this - I know, shocking - but I do think women historically work in community-type jobs. I.e. their priorities have more to do with overall quality of life (yes, money is important, but also truly enjoying your job is equally or more, important). "Mommy-blogs" are a perfect example of this trend. It makes sense that women would be drawn to doctoring and perhaps now there is more room.
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