“Women's work”: Gender and the physician workforce

Abstract

Historically, the physician professional identity and the organizational structure of Western medicine have been defined by masculine norms such as authority and assertiveness. The past five decades have seen a rapid shift in the demographics of attendees as medical schools, with equal numbers of women and men matriculants for nearly twenty years. Gender as a social, cultural, and structural variable continues to influence the physician workforce. The entry of women into medicine, has had far reaching effects on the expectations of patients, the interactions of physicians with other members of the healthcare team, and the delivery of care. Redefining the culture of medicine to accommodate the diversity of the modern workforce may benefit all physician and improve the delivery of healthcare.