Representation of women in medical specialties with particular reference to Sweden

In 1975 women held 16% of the specialist certificates held by all Swedish doctors. They were over-represented in long-term medical care, holding 56% of the certificates in this specialty, and also in psychiatry (36%), dermatology (30%), paediatrics (27%), anaesthesiology (24%), obstetrics/gynaecology (21%) and ophthalmology (20%). The reasons for the over-representation in these fields are discussed and comparisons made with the conditions in twelve other countries.