There is no question that doctors can face numerous difficulties when it comes to balancing their medical careers and their family lives. Working in healthcare can be problematic for people of all genders, and maintaining good health and a positive attitude towards their profession can be very difficult sometimes. However, female doctors seem to face more challenges than their male counterparts. In addition to being a doctor, a woman working in healthcare may also have multiple caregiver responsibilities at home. Should healthcare organizations do more to help female doctors, or will these problems go away on their own?
To answer this question, healthcare organizations should first understand the issues affecting female physicians today. While some problems may appear as a result of educational disparities and workplace discrimination, others seem to connect to the doctor’s own struggle to balance personal and professional lives. Understanding these issues is vital for creating a more equitable healthcare system in the US and beyond. Moreover, healthcare organizations have faced an exodus of women doctors in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. By understanding and addressing these problems, they will probably increase employee retention and boost performance.
The Challenges Faced by Female Doctors Today
While there have been significant positive developments in gender equality across many professions, American female doctors grapple with multiple hurdles, ranging from educational imbalances to the age-old quest for work-life balance. Healthcare organizations should comprehend these struggles to help develop a more equitable healthcare system.
Women Face More Challenges in Practicing Medicine
According to the Harvard Business Review, female physicians generally take longer with every patient, compared to male doctors. They also seem to spend more time entering cases into electronic records. The fact that they seem to work harder than their male counterparts is a good thing, as research shows lower mortality and readmission rates for patients under the care of female doctors. Even though women doctors stay awake late into the night to chart their cases, many also face numerous responsibilities at home. To sum up, female doctors are also mothers, daughters, caretakers, and more.
Female Doctors Have More Family Responsibilities
Another crucial issue female doctors face is maintaining a balance between work and family life. The nature of medical careers is unique and intense, and it may not allow one to meet family obligations. This is especially true regarding caretakers, which is the traditional role of women. As a consequence, female doctors are at higher risk of facing burnout due to their workloads. Although they spend less time working than their male counterparts, this is not the result of their own choice. The roles they have to play at home often force them to make this difficult decision, which in turn widens the income gap even more.
Female Physicians Struggle More with Stress and Anxiety
According to the Chief Healthcare Executive, female doctors usually struggle more with stress and anxiety than their male colleagues. This comes as no surprise, given the fact they usually spend more time with their patients and recording their cases, while they also take on more family responsibilities than their male counterparts. However, research also shows that female medical students and residents are also more predisposed to facing burnout and depression. Furthermore, female students are more likely to quit medical school, which goes to show that female physicians struggle more with stress and anxiety from the very beginning of their careers or even before they start.
Medical Education May Be More Difficult for Women
Medical education is by no means an easy task, but women seem to face more obstacles than men in completing it. While more and more women are entering medical schools, unequal opportunities persist in the field. For example, females are not inclined to choose some of the more specific fields, like surgery, orthopedics, or cardiology. This trend depends on various factors, like the preconceived idea that few women can really succeed in these specialties.
What Can Healthcare Organizations Do?
While they also face universal problems, such as workplace discrimination and pay inequalities, female doctors also struggle with the specific problems listed above. To solve these issues effectively, a holistic approach may be necessary. This should probably include a decision to change the existing policies and develop new actions.
Policy Changes: Legislation should focus on providing equal educational opportunities, as well as equal pay for equal work. Moreover, female doctors may benefit from specific policies, such as paid family leave, flexible working hours, and on-site childcare.
Cultural Shifts: Healthcare organizations may need to adjust their culture to a certain extent. Extending the number of jobs available for women, improving inclusive practices, and eradicating prejudice are just some examples of positive adjustments.
Research and Advocacy: There is a clear need for constant research on how women physicians are treated and whether new specific measures are needed. This data may benefit advocacy organizations that operate to enact these changes and increase public awareness.
Creating a Brighter Future for Female Doctors
Despite the significant progress made by the healthcare industry over the years, female doctors still face numerous issues. Solving these problems is only possible with the active participation of individuals, healthcare organizations, as well as the wider society. The goal is to gradually reduce gaps and build a more equal and just healthcare industry where both male and female doctors are likely to succeed.
