Derriford

In the past, medicine was a male-dominated profession and women were not allowed to train as doctors in the UK until the late 1800’s. Before this time, women who wanted to train as doctors were rejected from British universities and advised to purse different careers in nursing or midwifery. Women who wanted to train as doctors were often ridiculed by male doctors and there was a general attitude that women were not capable of being doctors.

There was a widespread outcry when women were allowed to train as doctors and orthodontists in the UK; many male professionals thought that women were not capable of doing the job and thought that they would crumble under the physical and emotional stress of the medical profession.

Increasingly, women became an important part of the medical team and now there are more women doctors than ever before.

Modern gender issues

All employees in all industries should be protected by laws, including both male and women doctors, which prevent prejudice and inequality in the workplace. But some medical professionals may experience inequality as a result of their gender. This usually involves comments about women’s ability to do a ‘man’s job’ but this attitude is largely a thing of the past and gender issues are not nearly as prominent as they were in the past.

There have been suggestions that there is still a gap in salaries between male and female doctors. A study conducted in 2009 revealed a pay gap of around £15,000 between male and female doctors. Some cases were put down to a different level of experience, while others were said to be down to discrimination.

The eradication of gender issues in medicine has also promoted an increase in the number of males choosing to pursue a career in nursing or midwifery, which were previously seen to be ‘women’s jobs.’

Tags: female doctor, female surgeon, medicine, nursing or midwifery, train as doctor

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