The professional attitudes and practice characteristics of male and female specialists

Using data obtained from a mail survey of 119 female and 140 male specialists conducted in Quebec in 1983-1984, we compared men and women on their attitudes and on the organizational, professional, and clinical characteristics of their medical practices. Analyses were performed separately for medical and surgical specialists. Gender differences in the clinical practice of medical specialists were found, with women reporting greater attention to the social, preventive, and human aspects of patient care than men. Among surgical specialists, women expressed more favorable attitudes toward the social component in health care than their male colleagues. They also differed from men on indicators measuring various practice characteristics. These findings may reflect gender differences in type of surgical specialty, since the majority of female surgeons were in ophthalmology. Overall, fewer women specialists reported that they had assumed administrative responsibilities. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of the increasing feminization of the medical profession.