From Conversation to Transformation: Mens' Perspective on Strange Nuances of Neurosurgical Practice for Women in India

Abstract

In India, men outnumber women in neurosurgery by a wide margin. At the graduation party of our woman colleague, we recalled the experiences of the past few years. It led to a transforming experience for the authors, who have hitherto only held the "mens' perspective." Societal pressures of marriage, profession, family, and culture on women in India emerge readily in this conversational piece. A comparison with "obstetrics and gynecology" in which women dominate is drawn to better describe the idiosyncrasies of Indian society. The meaning of discrimination and equality is examined in terms of neurosurgical training for women. At present, the price of becoming a doctor in India is the youth of the kid and uncertainties in the career because of gruesome competition at each level, without any incentives. Conversation itself is one of the greatest forces for changing the situation and how this conversation can be taken forward to transform a "culture of discrimination" to a "culture of acceptance."