Female Docs to dominate the profession (but only some of the time, and in some specialties!)

By Rosemary Gow in In the news on Friday, June 5, 2009 @ 10:36

The BBC news website reported earlier this week that that by 2017 the majority of all doctors will be female, with GPs reaching this position even sooner.  The tone of the article was that women overwhelmingly call for part-time hours which will result in a future requirement for more doctors to be trained and leaving some specialties such as surgery and anaesthesia male-dominated because the hours are longer and less flexible. 

Rather than seeing ‘part-time’ as a problem, it seems a shame that the emphasis is not placed more on what a person is doing rather than counting the hours they are not there.  As for the ‘bitterness from colleagues about flexible working’ reported by the RCP, channel that energy into making flexible working available to everyone who wants it and acceptable to colleagues, including those who prefer full-time hours.  Perhaps ‘Making flexibility work’ could be a subject to include on PasTest SpR Management courses to influence the decision makers of the future?