Ambivalent sexism within medicine: reflections from four medical students

Elhaam Avini; Qabass Omran; Fatemazahra Mohamed; Zara Ahmed

doi:10.3399/bjgp21X714497

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Sexism within medicine
Katherine H. McGoldrick

Published on: 18 January 2021
Ambivalent sexism within medicine
Vernon H. Needham FRCGP

Published on: 14 January 2021

Published on: (18 January 2021)
Page navigation anchor for Sexism within medicine
Sexism within medicine
Katherine H. McGoldrick, Salaried GP, NHS
Thank you to medical students Avini et al. for their discussion on sexism in medicine. I remember being quite shocked as a new medical student at the level of sexism I encountered, even in 2007. It was above what I had experienced in other aspects of my life until then. I recall on my first ever ward round being called a ‘silly girl’ by the intimidating professor! I suggest that another way to help address the gender gap is encouraging and improving access to part-time training for all trainees. When I finished my second maternity leave, my husband and I both arranged to work at 80% (rather than the 60%/100% we were doing before). Sharing childcare duties allowed our careers to progress at the same pace. He was the first male trainee in the deanery within his specialty to go part-time for childcare reasons. We felt proud for setting a precedent – following this, two other male colleagues also applied to work less-than-full-time, which they said they had never really considered doing before.

Competing Interests: None declared.
Published on: (14 January 2021)
Page navigation anchor for Ambivalent sexism within medicine
Ambivalent sexism within medicine
Vernon H. Needham FRCGP, Retired GP, None
This article by Avini et al, clearly elucidating their experiences, makes sad reading. The denigration by some hospital specialists of general practice is historical and widely reported and has received both national and local attention from our College.

Gender disparity exists across specialties, (for various reasons), but minority adverse experiences are certainly not exclusively female. In my work supporting trainees (of all specialties) in difficulty, I also encountered male trainees bullied, ostracised, or victimised by women when training in majority female specialties.

Some observations reported by Avini may have very simple explanations: could it be that male medical students or doctors are not confused with nurses because numerically, male nurses are so rare? In scrubs, roles can be confused, while the informal use of given names, together with inadequate name labels do not help.

The choices facing female doctors are often invidious, but choices are made, eg: ‘The reasons I chose general practice were that the training is shorter, and it is easier to work part-time’.

Avini et al might have taken a more balanced approach in their article, and also requested a simple ethos of politeness and respect between professionals, irrespective of status, gender or background.

Competing Interests: None declared.

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