Medicine and Motherhoodcolon; Shifting Trends Among Female Physicians from 1922 to 1999

摘要

Medicine has been chiefly a male profession for most of the waning century, but in the past three decades the proportion of women in US medical schools has risen dramatically from less than 10 percent to a current figure of 42 percent. At the same time, concern has grown over how women can manage both medical practice and maternity. In this study, the ability to achieve a balance was examined in 586 women, 70 percent of all those living who had attended Yale University School of Medicine since 1922. A questionnaire with about 150 items was sent out in 1996.Nearly half of the respondents (48.5 percent) and 82 percent of those over age 40 years were mothers. About 40 percent of those questioned planned to have children in the future, leaving approximately 11 percent who did not have and did not plan to have children. Those without children were relatively likely to practice a surgical specialty and to be working full-time and less likely to be in primary care. One-third of women without children felt that they had to choose between medicine and motherhood. More than 45 percent believed that they could not be both a good mother and a good doctor. Almost 90 percent of all respondents were satisfied with their careers, regardless of maternity status. The proportion of women who had their children during medical training increased from 24 percent before 1950 to 42 percent subsequently, but the average age when their first child was born did not change significantly. The duration of maternity leave increased over time, but the level of satisfaction with the length of leave declined. On average, 1.8 providers (other than the mother) cared for the children for at least 10 hours each week. A majority of this help came from nannies or live-in help, but the spousersquo;s or partnerrsquo;s role increased steadily during the years under review.Medical schools today need to consider the needs of their trainees beyond the classroom. Schools should be encouraged to allow a fifth year for students who want to start a family (or do research or examine complementary health practices). Flexibility also is needed in residency programs. Neither men nor women should be penalized professionally for being parents.Acad Med 1999;74colon;911ndash;919