Women in psychiatry

Of the 1863 women who first gained a registrable qualification from the UK medical school during 1949 to 1951 (early cohort) and in 1965 (late cohort) and believed to be living on 1st October 1977, 74 per cent responded to a postal questionnaire. It was found that 9 per cent of these were not in current practice, and of the remainder, 9 per cent (111) were practising psychiatry. Their participation in medicine was as high or higher than their contemporaries in other branches of medicine. A higher but non-significant proportion (57 per cent) had achieved career posts than other practitioners (54 per cent). Psychiatry was the tenth (early) and sixth (late) most popular choice of specialty on graduation. Psychiatrists resembled other hospital practitioners but not non-hospital practitioners in citing interest, liking, or aptitude as their reason for choosing their current specialty. Of the practising psychiatrists, 37 per cent held the diploma of membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists; these were engaged in more sessions per week and more often held career posts than the remainder.