Does the gender of your doctor matter? In general, I would say it shouldn’t make any difference, although there are times, such as during intimate exams, when it might be a consideration.
That said, I was fascinated by the results of a study conducted by UCLA and published in the Annals Of Internal Medicine, which found that the mortality rate of patients treated by female doctors was lower compared to those treated by male doctors.
The researchers who conducted the study could not explain their results, although they suggested it could be because doctors underestimated the severity of a patient’s illness.
I would tend to agree: there is no obvious biological explanation for this difference between the sexes, so the answer must be psychological, based on the unconscious bias of male doctors.
Previous research has certainly shown that doctors underestimate their patients’ pain levels, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular symptoms, and stroke risk, so it seems a reasonable conclusion.
The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan have all seen changes in the number of women entering the medical profession.
Some women may also feel more comfortable describing their symptoms to a doctor, which in turn means they may receive more appropriate care tailored to their needs.
Thank goodness, then, more women are entering the medical profession, and gone are the days when they were considered “unsuitable” and lacked the physical and mental stamina needed for the job.
This used to be particularly true for women who wanted to have children.
When I was in medical school, I remember an old professor of mine telling me that she was one of only three women during her entire year of medical school in the 1950s, when women were frequently ignored when they raised their hands. in seminars and tolerated. probably.
The idea that, as a woman, you could pursue a career in something other than family medicine or pediatrics was deeply frowned upon.
Those who managed to become doctors must have been tough as old boots to survive in such a hostile and sexist world.
How times have changed! When I was in medical school 25 years ago, mine was the first year there was an equal split between the sexes. Some medical schools now have 80 percent female students, a striking change.
Of course, it’s good that more women are entering the medical profession, but shouldn’t we consider what this means for our healthcare landscape in the future?
Currently, just over half of registered doctors are men. As more and more women enter the profession, we may see an increase in the number of doctors working part-time.
38 per cent of female consultants work part-time, compared to five per cent of consultant doctors. Two-thirds of GPs are women, with a large proportion opting for other than full-time work.
We should see a corresponding increase in the number of places in medical schools to take this into account, but we do not.
While the number of places in medical schools has increased slightly in recent years, this is only to allow for greater staffing needs in the current model, not to allow a larger portion of the workforce to work part-time in the future.
This problem is not unique to the UK: the United States, Canada, all of Europe and Japan have all seen changes in the number of women entering the medical profession, struggled to plan for hiring part-time workers and therefore , have had problems with staff shortages. doctors. The problem is already affecting both hospitals and primary care.
Thank God we are past those horrible, sexist days of yesteryear when female doctors were a minority and ostracized in the profession, especially if women experience better outcomes with female doctors.
But we must account for the shift in gender balance (and the increase in part-time work that comes with it) by attracting more students and doctors or we will face a medical workforce disaster.
The number of people on the transplant waiting list is at its highest level in a decade, but the number of donated organs has yet to recover after the pandemic. When I worked in a liver unit I saw many people who desperately needed transplants. I can’t think of anything more wonderful than leaving the gift of life behind when you die.
I have seen the truth behind Baby Reindeer
Have you seen Baby Reindeer on Netflix? I got hooked.
The drama is an autobiographical story written by Richard Gadd (who plays the protagonist, Donny), detailing his experiences of being bullied as a man in his 20s. With Jessica Gunning, who gives a convincing performance as the stalker Martha, he is gripping and unexpectedly funny.
Jessica Gunning plays stalker Martha and Richard Gadd plays protagonist Donny in the Netflix hit Baby Reindeer
As someone who has worked with several victims of bullying, as well as people who have been bullies, I found that it offers a nuanced and insightful look at the complex psychology of how this situation can play out, as well as portraying ambiguity and uncertainty. the victim feels. It also provides a comprehensive and heartbreaking look at how an obsession begins by misreading the signs.
It is one of the most powerful and accurate depictions of the utter devastation and long-term effect that stalking can have on a victim that I have ever seen.
Almost half of all patients never or rarely visit the same GP, according to a Liberal Democrat survey, clearly underlining a serious change in medicine.
We have moved away from doctors getting to know their patients and building trust over the years. Increasingly, a visit to your GP means sitting across from someone who barely looks up from their keyboard, reciting a list of symptoms and then walking away with a prescription in hand.
This ordeal flies in the face of evidence showing the extraordinary value of a proper doctor-patient relationship. One thing I value about being a doctor is getting to know my patients, especially in mental health. Some of my patients have confided in me things that they have not shared with any other human being. This has allowed me to help them better.
Dr. Max prescribes…
The Psychology of Memory by Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Althea Need Kaminske
Shortly before I sat down to write this I lost my keys. For the second time today. Does this happen to you? If so, don’t worry. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your memory is bad.
Our brain forgets things on purpose so it can store other information, say the scientists who wrote this book, which also suggests ways to remember names and numbers.
The Psychology of Memory by Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Althea Need Kaminske
