SEXISM IN MEDICINE AND THE WAY FORWARD -Suhani Aggarwal

Similar to women in the fields of technology, engineering and mathematics, women in medicine

experience gender bias in their field. There is a huge misconception about nurses being females and surgeons generally being males, even today. Quite frequently, female doctors are mistaken for nurses even after clarification. It can be said that sexism in medicine involves discriminating against patients, physicians, medical students and medical-school staff based on gender.

We often come across instances where doctors are urged to choose their fields of specialties based on their gender but in everyday life, both men and women face subtle sexism which is even difficult to recognize. A doctor once reported that during medical school, some female students weren't asked many questions in their viva by an examiner who said that they anyway had to make rotis (chapattis) and just complete their graduation, we'll make you pass anyway. These notions about female students are extremely troublesome. Moreover, there is a common presumption that generally males are doctors and females are nurses which is not true at all; vice versa is a common observation in hospitals across the globe today.

It is deeply saddening to know that not only do the patients treat male and female doctors differently, but also various people at higher posts look down upon women rising in the healthcare field. According to a report, female surgeons and physicians aren't treated with the same respect as their male counter parts.The same is the case with male gynecologists. I truly believe that a change in perspective is needed by today's youth to be able to look beyond the lens of gender and stereotypes towards doctors and healthcare professionals as well.

Today, doctors are breaking all sorts of barriers and going the extra mile to put an end to taboos, thus creating a healthy environment for the upcoming generations. On a personal level, I've come across many of them who realize the need to break stereotypes and are doing the same in a commendable manner through social media and in person. Thanks to various social media platforms like Instagram, we now come across doctors from all over the globe who are going an extra mile to make a better place for both male and female doctors in medicine by raising awareness and bringing a clearer version of the present situation in the limelight. Not all heroes wear capes and our young doctors are not only saving lives but also bringing about real changes in society.