Rise in Women Doctors ‘worrying’?

Often, living in the ‘modern’ and ’sophisticated’ West, we like to think that we are so much more advanced than the rest of the world. We strongly advocate equality and human rights, and look down on many practices of the ‘third-world’, considering them ‘backward’ and ‘barbaric’. A great difference often pointed out between the Middle-East in particular, and the West is the treatment of women.

There is no doubt that in most Middle-Eastern countries, women are treated as second, or even third-class citizens; coming in just after ‘animals’ (not trying to be funny -ed). But sometimes, just sometimes, an individual from a country in the ‘modern’ West will slip up, and hi-light the more-often-than-not hypocritical nature of those sitting at the top of various institutes in Western society. Today’s example comes from the medical world.

In the British Medical Journal, Dr Colin McKinstry claimed that there was a rise a women

doctors, especially in the GP sector, and that this rise was “worrying” (read article here). So we wonder, ‘what can be so worrying about a rise in female GP’s?’ Well, according to the right hon. Dr., the fairer sex tend to work part-time, which leads to staffing problems.

Professor Jane Dacre quite rightly said that instead of worrying about having too many female doctors, the industry should be more concerned about equal opportunities in the medical profession.

Currently within universities in the UK, there is a 3-2 ratio of females to males; females do better at

university interviews to get into medical courses, their grades tend to be better, and they work harder than their male counterparts. Prof. Dacre claims that when she went to university, there was a quota for female doctors, and that was 30%! Although there may be more females than males in medical school now, remember that they are earning it! There is no quota against the males as there was against females. If more males aren’t getting into medical school, it’s because they’re not as good, or possibly lazy. That is not the fault of any female. The opportunity for a male to study medicine is still ‘equal’ to that of a female.

Now that females are being taken more seriously in the medical profession, and are out-performing males, the ‘man’ has a problem - in fear of losing his seat of power to a ‘girl’.

The Dr. added ‘Many older full-time male GPs are shortly due to retire leaving behind a workforce of younger women, many of whom work part-time.’ (cited from the BBC). Tell us Dr., what really bothers you? A predominately part-time work force, or the possibility that women will inevitably take over the seats of power in the profession?

Even though there may be more female doctors coming through, they are still vastly under-represented on a highly professional level; with many surgeons and senior practitioners still remaining male. People often under-estimate how much sub-conscious pressure females are under in this society. However much we like to delude ourselves, they are still seen as the main child-carer; house-keeper; and always the “secondary” earner. It is for these reasons, they are still unable to attain that higher professional level. Unless they ‘neglect responsibility’ (a term always afforded to women who wish to excel in their career, but hardly ever to men), they can never achieve that status.

This is not something that only applies to the medical profession, it can be seen in most professions. We give women the right to go out and earn; but indirectly, we never let them be equal to men where it counts. Like the cruel stable-hand, we dangle the metaphorical carrot of prosperity and respect, allowing no hope of ever reaching it… yet as long as they keep running, who cares?

At least in the Middle East they are forward about their sexist attitudes… Here, under the hypocritical shroud of ‘equality’, the society allows people (not just the women this time) to think we can make a difference, yet we are kept on a leash; one of us being allowed to escape at the will of the ‘man’ to solidify hope amongst the masses: “She made it, so can I!”, and thus the inequality continues.

Prof. Dacre quite rightly points out that ‘on-site child care and part-time training options were needed to ensure women doctors had equal opportunities in their career’ (cited from BBC article). At least this will allow for women to rise through the ranks and not be seen to be ‘neglecting responsibility’… but it’s only one step on a long journey for equal rights. Perhaps when all the males retire, and the women take power, the men will be forced to accept matriarchy, and stay home to assume their new role as the ‘house-keeper’.