“For Passion or for Future Family?” Exploring Factors Influencing Career and Family Choices of Female Medical Students and Residents

Abstract

Over the last decade, a significant change in medical school applications has occurred, with more than 50 % of applicants being female. Despite the significant increase in the number of women entering the medical profession, there is evidence that a gendered hierarchy persists. Female medical students are more likely than their male colleagues to enter and practice in less prestigious medical specializations and are less likely to enter more prestigious fields such as surgery. This paper assesses two competing explanations for female medical students’ specialty choices. Does women’s choice appear to reflect their preference for family and their gender role socialization; or rather the structural barriers and constraints that women still experience in male-dominant fields? Drawing from qualitative data collected from 15 female medical students and residents in Ontario, Canada—this study explores whether Canadian female students and residents anticipate having a difficult time combining career and family life, and how these expectations shape their specialty choice. The findings suggest that structural barriers within the medical field deter women from pursuing certain specializations.