Role of Women in Medicine: A Look at the History, the Present Condition and the Future Status of Women in the Surgical Field, Especially Neurosurgery

Abstract

We have analyzed the historical background of women's progress in medicine in Japan and the role of female neurosurgeons as models for the next generation. Female neurosurgeons were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their professional life in detail and the problems they are facing while managing their personal life after getting married and having a child. Some feel that there remain some constraints at work for being a female, due to their male colleagues who are not so understanding in nature.The younger generation is not so keen on joining the neurosurgical branch as their life career due to hard work and complete dedication demanded by neurosurgery. It is not easy for all to manage a neurosurgical career along together with a married life and children. Hence it is now time for those successful female neurosurgeons to become role models. Government can play an important role in these social reforms by coming up with programs to give social security to females and initiate programs for child care for married females pursuing such a demanding profession. Certain measures to encourage females to take up surgery are providing more time by arranging care for babies and families, flexibility in working hours, in addition to having a considerate husband and a considerate chief of department and senior staff. Departmental policies need to be completely impartial and should promote everyone based on their skills and knowledge. Women neurosurgeons need to get together and discuss all these issues so that the younger generation will not hesitate to take up this profession and become stalwarts of neurosurgery like their male counterparts.

Key words

Neurosurgery - role of women - history - future status - questionnaire

References

• 1 Long E de, Mulder M, Gulik T M van. Hector Treub and his female students, the first women surgeons in the Netherlands.  Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2001;  145 2492-2497
• 2 Braunwald E. Some reflections on the first woman heart surgeon.  Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;  71 (Suppl 2) 6-7
• 3 Silliman R A, Demissie S, Troyan S L. The care of older women with early stage breast cancer: what is the role of surgeon gender?.  Med Care. 1999;  37 1057-1067
• 4 Enker I C, Schwarz K, Enker J. The disproportion of female and male surgeons in cardiothoracic surgery.  Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999;  47 131-135
• 5 Mizgala C, Mackinnon S, Walters B, Ferris L E. Women surgeons. The results of the Canadian population study.  Ann Surg. 1993;  218 37-46
• 6 Sandrick K. The residency experience: the woman's perspective.  Bull Am Coll Surg. 1992;  77 10-17
• 7 Emblem R. Gender neutrality in medical research - possible and desirable?.  Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1990;  110 3268-3272