Women in medical school and beyond

The increasing proportion of female students in Australian medical school warrants an appraisal of the particular factors which may influence their success in their undergraduate and post-graduate careers. Past shortages of medical manpower are giving way to a projected over-abundance of doctors in the near future. New South Wales has three medical schools, and in 1979 women constituted a significant percentage of the total number of students entering the first year. In the Newcastle school that percentage has exceeded 50. Because the majority of women combine their careers with child-bearing and child-raising, they face special problems in medical shcool and beyond. The fulfilment of dual roles frequently creates significant conflicts for women, but there are signs that women are gradually overcoming such conflicts. In fact, some male students are now beginning to question their tradition of full-time commitment to a stressful profession with little free time left for their families or other interests. To make the best use of medical manpower, planning towards more flexible training schemes and more innovative roles in medical practice is essential. Women in particular can help one another by co-operation and imaginative planning.