In the early- and mid-1900s, women were forbidden to attend medical school or practice medicine across the United States. While our society has made great strides in encouraging women to join and even become leaders in professions like medicine, it is important to understand how these efforts are playing out in real life.
For a new review published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, researchers conducted a survey of 4,578 full-time faculty at 26 U.S. medical colleges. They found that women made up only 19 percent of full professors and only 12 percent of department chiefs. Their survey also found that while men and women were engaged in their work to a similar degree and both groups had similar aspirations for leadership roles, women did not feel the same sense on inclusion in their profession and were not as confident about their ability to be promoted.
The study confirms research by Cornell Professors Wendy Williams and Steve Ceci, who have dedicated their careers to understanding why women are more likely to pursue advancement in science and technology fields like physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering.
The husband-and-wife team has published a major systematic review that concludes women tend to drop out of math and science related fields because they shoulder more responsibility of caring for young children – and this duty often coincides with the most demanding years of their careers.
What’s the answer? It’s clear that more research is needed to find out the support systems and environments needed to help women fulfill their career goals. From my perspective, more flexible schedules, accessible and quality childcare and longer maternity leaves would go a long way in helping women to achieve career advancement and raise their families at the same time.
Speak Your Mind