Has the question been asked as to why fewer males are applying to
study medicine? Is it possible that some of the reasons to consider are
that there is no job security, training costs are high (eg exams, self-
funding of courses), the work is intense, with pay that does not reflect
time spent, and medicine is seen as a professional job and not a career?
In the imminent future the European Working Time Directive will
ensure that both male and female trainees work a 48hr week. 'Less-than-
full-time' working will become the norm from trainee to consultant level
and therefore job patterns will change.
Women generally only work part time for some of their working lives,
when their children are young. This gives a bimodal working pattern with
subsequent return to full time employment. There should therefore not be
any anxiety as to loss of "woman power" in the NHS but rather innovative
ideas for job creation and job-sharing as part of workforce planning.
The Medical Women's Federation, which is over 90 years old, strives
to encourage and support our medical students and juniors to achieve their
career goals. We listen to our members and the problems of trying to
combine family and careers and facing barriers. The career choices that
women make in medicine after graduating reflect the opportunities
available and we continue to lobby for equal opportunities. If it means
less than full time training is needed for equal opportunity towards
career progression, then this should be available. The results of our
study “Making Part-time Work” are to be launched in June and will provide
useful data on less than full time working experiences of both male and
female doctors.
Beryl De Souza
Joint Honorary Secretary
Medical Women's Federation
www.medicalwomensfederation.org.uk
Competing interests:
Joint Honorary Secretary
Medical Women's Federation
Rapid Response:
why do men shun a career in medicine
Has the question been asked as to why fewer males are applying to study medicine? Is it possible that some of the reasons to consider are that there is no job security, training costs are high (eg exams, self- funding of courses), the work is intense, with pay that does not reflect time spent, and medicine is seen as a professional job and not a career?
In the imminent future the European Working Time Directive will ensure that both male and female trainees work a 48hr week. 'Less-than- full-time' working will become the norm from trainee to consultant level and therefore job patterns will change.
Women generally only work part time for some of their working lives, when their children are young. This gives a bimodal working pattern with subsequent return to full time employment. There should therefore not be any anxiety as to loss of "woman power" in the NHS but rather innovative ideas for job creation and job-sharing as part of workforce planning.
The Medical Women's Federation, which is over 90 years old, strives to encourage and support our medical students and juniors to achieve their career goals. We listen to our members and the problems of trying to combine family and careers and facing barriers. The career choices that women make in medicine after graduating reflect the opportunities available and we continue to lobby for equal opportunities. If it means less than full time training is needed for equal opportunity towards career progression, then this should be available. The results of our study “Making Part-time Work” are to be launched in June and will provide useful data on less than full time working experiences of both male and female doctors.
Beryl De Souza
Joint Honorary Secretary
Medical Women's Federation
www.medicalwomensfederation.org.uk
Competing interests: Joint Honorary Secretary Medical Women's Federation
Competing interests: No competing interests