Feminism In The Medical Field

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Women have struggled to battle sexist sentiments in all aspects of their lives. The medical field has been a key front for women as they fight for an end to sexism and has thus harbored feminism. Bell hooks’ definition of feminism states that “feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression,” which have all been problems within the medical field. Women have historically been limited to live within the domestic sphere with all of their contributions remaining within the house. This made the prospect of women showing the ambition and ability to go into the medical field preposterous to many. Considering these stigmas, it makes sense that feminism was necessary to promote change. Influential women have worked hard to …show more content…

Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor of modern times. She was encouraged to pursue a career in medicine by a sick friend who thought women would be more sympathetic toward patients and treat them better. She applied to thirty different colleges and was only accepted into Geneva College due to the sexism that existed within the medical community. Dr. Blackwell faced many obstacles during her time in medical school, including teachers attempting to dismiss her from the class when discussing reproductive anatomy. She eventually won the respect of professors and peers alike. Dr. Blackwell’s graduation was essentially a women's rights event with many women coming together in support. She went on to establish a hospital in New York City that focused on care for women and children. She also helped make advancements in providing care for wounded soldiers and wrote numerous books tackling the barriers between women and careers in medicine. One of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell’s more well-known books is entitled Medicine as a Profession for Women, and it was co-written by her sister Dr. Emily Blackwell. In this book, the sisters shed light on how women’s advancements in the medical field would lead to gains in the overall equality of rights. The sisters powerfully claimed that "The thorough education of a class of women in …show more content…

Studies have shown that of the 534 medical schools deans appointed from 1980 to 2006, only 38 were women. It was also revealed that women generally had shorter tenures and took longer to advance compared to men. Another study was done to determine the cause for these barriers by surveying 4,578 faculty members at 26 various U.S. medical schools. Women who participated in this study generally reported a lower sense of belonging and did not feel as supported as their male colleagues. They were also more pessimistic about the idea of their institutions having ideals that align with their own or being family friendly. It is hypothesized that medical school’s inability to provide women with an environment where they feel supported and accepted regardless of gender has led to this “glass ceiling”. There has been much more research done on this disturbing topic revealing that "women represent 17% of tenured professors, 16% of full professors, 10% of all department chairs, and 11% of all medical school deans at U.S. academic medical centers (AMC)." Despite women's advancements in the medical field as a whole, they continue to struggle when it comes to advancing in the academic sector of this field. Instead, they are largely limited to what is known as "institutional housekeeping" which includes clinicians and educators. While these positions are vital and respectable,

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