While the field of nursing has been dominated by women for decades, current research indicates that female participation in other medical roles is also increasing. In 1970, less than 10% of all jobs in medicine were held by women. In contrast, by 2010, the number of female physicians rose to 30%. Less than half of them choose surgical specialities, as most female physicians choose specialities that allow for more flexibility in scheduling.
Along with an increase in the number of female physicians, women are increasing their numbers in jobs such as physician assistants, research technicians, physical therapists and medical-related IT jobs. Despite the gains in some medical and research jobs, females are still under-represented in top university positions and in elite leadership positions. Recent research suggests that there are many reasons for this disconnect between women in medicine in general and women in medical leadership positions.
Increasing the numbers of women in top medical leadership roles means increasing the availability of mentors and training programs specifically aimed at grooming potential leaders into top positions. In addition, institutions need to be aware of their corporate culture and explicitly seek out a more diversified executive team. Because there may be fewer female candidates with necessary qualifications entering a job search, it is important for health care organizations to work with professional organizations to identify and cultivate strong talent within an organization.
Offering ongoing professional development and relevant training is one way to invest in leadership which can save the organization money that would be spent by looking outside the organization for executive talent.
Since the 1970’s the number of women in medicine has increased significantly. Still there are many areas, like surgical medicine and executive leadership professionals, where women remain under-represented within the field of medicine. Offering on-going education, professional networking and career mentoring are some of the ways that progressive healthcare organizations can increase female participation in under-represented medical careers.
Each generation brings with it an increase in gender balance among most professions. With the large numbers of seniors retiring over the next decade, positions will open up. Professionals with sound leadership training and the desire to excel to the next level should promising opportunities across the broad spectrum of medical careers.
References:
http://www.aao.org/yo/newsletter/200806/article04.cfm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12377686
