[Women entering medicine: implications for health care in Israel]

An increasing number of women have been entering the medical profession during the past 2 decades. In all 4 medical schools in Israel, 46% of the students in 1989 were women, as were 30% of hospital residents. However, only a few women have reached top academic posts. With the increasing growth of immigration from the Soviet Union, a further increase in the number of women physicians is expected. However, half of the hospital-based residents of both sexes have similar specialty paths in pediatrics and medicine, but there are significant differences with regard to the other specialties: more men choose hospital-based surgical specialties, while women usually enter family medicine and psychiatry, mostly in an out-patient setting. These findings are compatible with other studies in Israel and abroad which reflect women's greater compassion and ability to communicate with patients and their families, as compared to men. Male physicians are more competitive and tend to seek professional status, power and practical rewards. It is anticipated that these trends will influence the nature and the education of the medical profession in the direction of a more humane type of medicine.