While it has long been true that the majority of nurses are female, physicians have long been a male-dominated sector. While that is the case today, it will not be the case in over the next decade. The future of healthcare is coming quickly, and it’s starting to look more female every year.
While most doctors over the age of 40 are still male, the younger demographics are where the medical world is really starting to see a swing. You can expect those numbers to increase over the coming years.
In fact, 2017 was the first year where more women than men enrolled in U.S. medical schools. Females represented roughly 50.7% of applicants, representing a 9.6% increase over the past four years.
With this number increasing, it’s important to look at some key aspects that every female doctor should remember, whether they are just starting out or are season professionals.
Taking Care of Yourself Equates to a Successful Career
In a constantly moving, competitive world of medicine, it can be easy to forget about your personal life and put your professional life up on a pedestal. Maybe not just the first place spot, but also the silver and bronze positions as well. Even though you may be trying to get ahead and advance your career, it’s not worth casting your own life to the side.
This means spending time with friends, planning a weekend getaway and continuing to go to your weekly yoga class. Your job is fast-paced and stressful, you’ll need some way to get that stress out. Keep doing whatever you need to do to be a happy, healthy doctor. Time management can be a challenging task, but it’s important to keep that balance.
While you’re making sure you’re happy and healthy, it’s also good to prepare for the unexpected. You may not be planning on getting into a car accident, but you have car insurance. Burning down your house while trying that new recipe from Pinterest isn’t an ideal evening, but you’ve got property insurance. You need to be protecting the most valuable asset, your income.
Let’s face it, injuries during a procedure are a surefire way to not only slow down your momentum but can also keep you out of work for a while. You don’t want to run the risk of being out of work because of an injury or disability. You may never experience an injury or disability on the job, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
You Don’t Have to Sacrifice Your Career
Whenever you go to your grandmother’s house, you’re sure to be peppered with questions and be fed lots of food. “But Grandma, I just ate lunch,” you say as she slides a casserole your way. Then the questions start coming about your love life, your friends and everything in between. But it’s OK because we know that, usually, grandmothers just want the best for their grandchildren and still want to be involved.
Unfortunately, those questions are not limited to just grandmothers as everyone will eventually start asking you questions. When are you getting married? Why do you still want to work there? When are you having kids? Can I be the godparent? Why haven’t I seen you in so long? The questions can be endless.
That kind of pressure can get to even the most confident and driven people. Those questions turn into nagging little voices in the back of your mind. Should I think about settling down? What about working less and being home more? Will this make everyone else happy?
The main person’s happiness you should be worried about is none other than YOU. You’re the one that put in all the blood, sweat and tears to reach this point. It’s your career! Of course, family and friends have helped and encouraged you along the way, but ultimately the one making decisions about your career path should be you. Obviously, if you have a significant other or children they should be consulted, but ultimately you must make the decisions for your best outcome.
Just remember that your career is just that, your career and you’ll be at your best being firm and confident in your decisions.
While the Gap is Closing, there is still a Gap
Even though it was highlighted above that more female doctors are on the way, doctors are still a male-dominated industry, representing about 65% of the industry as a whole. Male doctors are at almost a 4-to-1 ratio after the age of 45 and the majority of leadership positions are often filled by men.
Because of this, there are still plenty of sexist remarks that pervade hospitals. These come from not just patients, but other medical professionals as well. This is certainly discouraging in 2019, but the medical industry has a long way to go.
This is not meant to discourage any doctors, but to prepare you for any possible remark. It’s unfair that this needs to be discussed, but is an unfortunate consequence of the time.
During these times, it’s great to have experienced doctors to count on. Feel free to ask questions and lend a listening ear to what they have to say. Remember, they were once in your position and are willing to pay it forward, most likely for what someone did for them previously.