Women in medicine: Status cannot be the driver

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7468.743-b

BMJ 2004;329:743 (25 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7468.743-b

Letter

Women in medicine

Status cannot be the driver

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—With reference to Heath's editorial on women inmedicine,¹ what does "status" mean and how relevant is it tothose of us deemed to be in "low" status work, such as familypractice?

Simply to express status in terms that are measurable, suchas pay, job position, and head counts, does not address thereal themes, which are personal and professional contentment.The eroding social status of doctors should be viewed positivelyfor professional vanity has divided the profession and alienatedpatients. The influx of people from lower social classes andof women has done much to break the old hierarchy and the destructive"status culture" over the past 30 years. Status is an individualperspective and should never be confused with mere "position."Childcare, also, is not a panacea to reach professional equality,and many doctors positively choose to parent their own children.The impact of these . . . [Full text of this article]