Cons and pros of female anesthesiologists: Academic versus nonacademic

We hypothesized that "Feminization" of medicine has an impact on the choice of anesthesiology as a specialty. However anesthesiology is still not a more popular choice among women in medicine. We aimed to evaluate the implications of anesthesiology as a profession on personal and family life of women anesthesiologists; the differences between academic and nonacademic women anesthesiologists with respect to these effects and the effect of women anesthesiologists on the profession.

This study surveyed a total of 46 woman anesthesiologists; both academic and nonacademic institutions in our country between January and May 2013. A convenient sampling method was used. A constructed self-reported questionnaire was developed to explore the 29 items of woman-anesthesiology-related implications (family, personal, and job), in the form of close-ended questions.

Negative implications of anesthesiology on personal and family life of woman were common. With the exception of financial limitation, academic group was significantly more affected. Increased surgeons conflict (98%), poor surgeon acceptance (87%), poor patient acceptance and recurrent change of work schedule (80% each) were the most common perceived negative impacts of women in the field of anesthesiology. Some positive implications were perceived as independent, positive social interaction, empowerment, soothing work environment, emotional reaction to patient complaint, and increased perfectionism (nearly 94%, 98%, 87%, 91%, 89%, and 76%, respectively).

Serious implications exist for the personality and family life of women who chose anesthesiology as a specialty and career, and most of these implications were significantly more prevalent among women with an academic career. Furthermore, anesthesiology as a profession was significantly affected by women joining the department.