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A preliminary report on the woman otolaryngologist
A Preliminary Report on the Woman Oto 1aryng o lo gist MARGARETM. FLETCHER,M.D.*
Less than 1 per cent of practicing otolaryngologists are women. Seventy-five per cent are in private practice. Of the 25 per cent in academic otolaryngology, all except for two younger women have reached full or associate professor levels and two were retired departmental chairmen. In the next two years the number of practicing women otolaryngologists will double because of an increase in women in residency training.
The President of the Association of American Medical Colleges asked that a committee of women's liaison officers be formed to articulate the concerns of women and to document the current status of women in medicine for specific groups such as the Society of University Otolaryngologists, the American College of Surgeons, and medical school faculties and administrations.
PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED Little is known about the women who compose the small percentage of practicing otolaryngologists. Who are they? What are they doing? Where are they located? How many are in academic medicine? What kinds of problems do they encounter? What is their productivity? How many have board certification? How many have subspecialty training? How do they combine raising a family with their profession? What are the expectations for the future? There are currently about 6000 otolaryngologists in the United States; about 50 to 60, or less than 1 per cent, are women. Until 1969 women composed only 9 per cent of the medical graduates and their number had increased to 23 per cent in 1979. The total number of women in otolaryngology residencies in 1969 was approximately 10. The exact number of women now in
training is unknown, but most of the programs sampled have one woman in residency and some have as many as four. There are as many women in residency now as are present in the entire specialty. It is expected that our numbers will double within the next two years. The focus of this report is on women otolaryngologists. The sample was drawn by the staff of the American Council of Otolaryngology. Seventy names were obtained; some of these were men with women's first names, and a large number were women in training. An attempt was made to contact each person on the list in order to document her current status, to obtain basic information about her practice, professional life, and academic associations, and also to extend a hand to let these people know that we are interested in them and that their experiences can directly benefit those in training and those in the early years of practice. The names of 47 women otolaryngologists were found. Thirty-nine were contacted by telephone.
PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS Eighty-eight per cent were working as otolaryngologists when called. Of the 12 per cent (five) not working, three women were retired after an average of 40 years of uninterrupted
Accepted for publication December 16, 1979. Presentation at the meeting of the Society of University Otolaryngologists, November 7, 1979, Washington, D.C. *Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Chief of Otolaryngology, Patuxent Medical Group, Columbia, Maryland. American Journal of Otolaryngalogy - - Volume 1, Number 3, May 1980
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American Journal of Otolaryngology
practice. One was in a postgraduate fellowship and one was on a three month difficult maternity leave. One hundred per cent either have been or will be engaged in the practice of otolaryngology. Seventy-five per cent are in private practice. These practices are located in three main areas of the United States, the Northeast, Midwest, and West. The Northeastern practices are concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Midwestern states are Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Missouri, and the Western states include California, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. Twenty per cent are employed full time in academic institutions. Forty-three per cent are married, and 25 per cent have small families with an average of 1.3 children. Of the w o m e n in private practice, 30 per cent have part-time teaching responsibilities; half are clinical instructors and there are equal numbers of clinical assistant and associate professors (25 per cent each}. Information about the effect of childbirth on productivity is not yet complete.
ACADEMIC STATUS Six w o m e n physicians (15 per cent) are in full time teaching positions, one is a full professor, four are at the associate professor level, and one has just completed her residency. Two other w o m e n who have retired have achieved full professorships and were departmental chairmen. Their combined professional life is 77 years. Another group of three w o m e n had been teaching full time and are currently in private practice; two were associate professors and one was an assistant professor. One of these women had been an associate dean of student affairs prior to choosing private practice.
212
In documenting the productivity and achievements of w o m e n otolaryngologists, one finds that their careers were comparable to those of men in our field long before the new era when women began to be present in higher percentages in medical schools and otolaryngology training programs. Plans are under way to develop a detailed questionnaire that addresses these specific issues. A directory of w o m e n otolaryngologists is available and will be updated periodically; 8 separate directory of w o m e n in otolaryngology training programs will also be compiled. Even though this group of w o m e n otolaryngologists is small, the experience serves to dispel the preconceived notions of low productivity and achievement thought to be the necessary status of w o m e n giving to their dual role as physician and wife and mother. This experience may also provide role models and methods for dealing with the problems of other professional women. More important, it provides evidence that after a w o m a n has entered otolaryngology, a career in our field is limited mainly by an individual's ambitions and abilities. It is with cautious optimism that I look to the future of w o m e n in medicine. In the late 1800's 40 per cent of the graduating medical students at Tufts were women. This upsurge in interest rode high along with interest in women's rights. As a result, a strong opposition to w o m e n developed and held firm for 70 years. Women are again being graduated from medical schools, constituting 25 to 40 per cent of graduating classes. These w o m e n are now completing their residency training. At this time it is critical to have accurate and objective data in order to gain a better understanding of these changes. Patuxent Medical Group 5999 Harpers Farm Road Columbia, Maryland 21044
THE WOMAN OTOLARYNGOLOGIST
Less than 1 per cent of practicing otolaryngologists are women. Seventy-five per cent are in private practice. Of the 25 per cent in academic otolaryngology, all except for two younger women have reached full or associate professor levels and two were retired departmental chairmen. In the next two years the number of practicing women otolaryngologists will double because of an increase in women in residency training.
The President of the Association of American Medical Colleges asked that a committee of women's liaison officers be formed to articulate the concerns of women and to document the current status of women in medicine for specific groups such as the Society of University Otolaryngologists, the American College of Surgeons, and medical school faculties and administrations.
PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED Little is known about the women who compose the small percentage of practicing otolaryngologists. Who are they? What are they doing? Where are they located? How many are in academic medicine? What kinds of problems do they encounter? What is their productivity? How many have board certification? How many have subspecialty training? How do they combine raising a family with their profession? What are the expectations for the future? There are currently about 6000 otolaryngologists in the United States; about 50 to 60, or less than 1 per cent, are women. Until 1969 women composed only 9 per cent of the medical graduates and their number had increased to 23 per cent in 1979. The total number of women in otolaryngology residencies in 1969 was approximately 10. The exact number of women now in
training is unknown, but most of the programs sampled have one woman in residency and some have as many as four. There are as many women in residency now as are present in the entire specialty. It is expected that our numbers will double within the next two years. The focus of this report is on women otolaryngologists. The sample was drawn by the staff of the American Council of Otolaryngology. Seventy names were obtained; some of these were men with women's first names, and a large number were women in training. An attempt was made to contact each person on the list in order to document her current status, to obtain basic information about her practice, professional life, and academic associations, and also to extend a hand to let these people know that we are interested in them and that their experiences can directly benefit those in training and those in the early years of practice. The names of 47 women otolaryngologists were found. Thirty-nine were contacted by telephone.
PRACTICE CHARACTERISTICS Eighty-eight per cent were working as otolaryngologists when called. Of the 12 per cent (five) not working, three women were retired after an average of 40 years of uninterrupted
Accepted for publication December 16, 1979. Presentation at the meeting of the Society of University Otolaryngologists, November 7, 1979, Washington, D.C. *Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Chief of Otolaryngology, Patuxent Medical Group, Columbia, Maryland. American Journal of Otolaryngalogy - - Volume 1, Number 3, May 1980
211
American Journal of Otolaryngology
practice. One was in a postgraduate fellowship and one was on a three month difficult maternity leave. One hundred per cent either have been or will be engaged in the practice of otolaryngology. Seventy-five per cent are in private practice. These practices are located in three main areas of the United States, the Northeast, Midwest, and West. The Northeastern practices are concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Midwestern states are Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Missouri, and the Western states include California, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon. Twenty per cent are employed full time in academic institutions. Forty-three per cent are married, and 25 per cent have small families with an average of 1.3 children. Of the w o m e n in private practice, 30 per cent have part-time teaching responsibilities; half are clinical instructors and there are equal numbers of clinical assistant and associate professors (25 per cent each}. Information about the effect of childbirth on productivity is not yet complete.
ACADEMIC STATUS Six w o m e n physicians (15 per cent) are in full time teaching positions, one is a full professor, four are at the associate professor level, and one has just completed her residency. Two other w o m e n who have retired have achieved full professorships and were departmental chairmen. Their combined professional life is 77 years. Another group of three w o m e n had been teaching full time and are currently in private practice; two were associate professors and one was an assistant professor. One of these women had been an associate dean of student affairs prior to choosing private practice.
212
In documenting the productivity and achievements of w o m e n otolaryngologists, one finds that their careers were comparable to those of men in our field long before the new era when women began to be present in higher percentages in medical schools and otolaryngology training programs. Plans are under way to develop a detailed questionnaire that addresses these specific issues. A directory of w o m e n otolaryngologists is available and will be updated periodically; 8 separate directory of w o m e n in otolaryngology training programs will also be compiled. Even though this group of w o m e n otolaryngologists is small, the experience serves to dispel the preconceived notions of low productivity and achievement thought to be the necessary status of w o m e n giving to their dual role as physician and wife and mother. This experience may also provide role models and methods for dealing with the problems of other professional women. More important, it provides evidence that after a w o m a n has entered otolaryngology, a career in our field is limited mainly by an individual's ambitions and abilities. It is with cautious optimism that I look to the future of w o m e n in medicine. In the late 1800's 40 per cent of the graduating medical students at Tufts were women. This upsurge in interest rode high along with interest in women's rights. As a result, a strong opposition to w o m e n developed and held firm for 70 years. Women are again being graduated from medical schools, constituting 25 to 40 per cent of graduating classes. These w o m e n are now completing their residency training. At this time it is critical to have accurate and objective data in order to gain a better understanding of these changes. Patuxent Medical Group 5999 Harpers Farm Road Columbia, Maryland 21044
THE WOMAN OTOLARYNGOLOGIST