For the First Time in History, Women Outnumber Men in Medical Residencies

History has officially been made, as Becker's Hospital Review reports that for the first time, the number of females in physician residency programs outnumbers male residents.

The majority is not an overwhelming one: female residents make up 50.2% of all physician residents in the programs. However, the number is still significant considering how far women in physician roles have come, such as making up only 10% of physicians in training in the 1970s.

Plus, the numbers only seem to be growing, based on incoming applicants to medical school.

More women in residency and fellow programs also has the potential to impact the nursing industry and the landscape of healthcare in general. 

What More Women in Healthcare Means 

The shift to a majority of female physicians, Becker's Hospital Review explains, isn't just about acknowledging a change in attracting more women to the healthcare industry—it's now about recognising the impact of female physicians on the healthcare profession.

"It is whether the profession’s structures are prepared for a future in which women comprise a growing share of its workforce, and whether institutions are ready to confront long-standing gaps in compensation and career advancement, as well as cultural barriers that representation alone has not resolved," Becker's notes. 

More women at the top of the healthcare industry in provider roles can drive important conversations from the "big" topics like gender pay gaps to "smaller" issues like menstrual cyle-friendly policies and accommodations. 

Although there are more females in physician residency and training programs, many historically male-dominated specialities, like orthopedics, have not changed drastically. The program increases have seen more women enter familiar spaces, such as:

• Family medicine
• Obstetrics
• Pediatrics
• Dermatology

Experts also caution that while positive, more females entering the physician world could have potential drawbacks, too. Historically, the more women are in a profession, the lower the salary drops and the less "prestige" it has in society. (And the data suggests that's already happening.) 

“There’s still a cultural phenomenon here that even though it’s exciting to see more women enter fields, it’s still important to make sure that we’re aware of that," Vineet Arora, MD, dean for medical education at UChicago Medicine, cautioned. 

Could More Female Physicians Drive Policy Change?

Not all caregivers are female, nor should it be assumed that all females will become caregivers, but females have historically overwhelmingly been in caregiver roles, so there is some hope that more female physicians will also drive better work-life policies that incorporate caregiving and outside responsibilities. 

Changes with more females in both direct care and leadership roles in medicine could look like:

• Increased embedded flexibility
• Parental and caregiving leave
• Support programs, such as meal delivery and tax preparation
• Grant funding
• Meeting times that work around drop-off and school hours

Another big change experts hope to see is a greater emphasis on tackling sexual discrimination and harassment. When females are in charge, more policies can focus on ensuring zero tolerance for harassment. 

How Does the Increase in Female Doctors Affect Nurses?

Interestingly enough, one study review found that nurses—a predominantly female field—ranked female physicians more negatively than male physicians, finding female physicians less knowledgeable, competent, and professional than males. 

A 2020 review also found the same concept when talking with female doctors, noting that female physicians reported feeling less supported by female nurses than male nurses, or when compared to male physicians. 

The findings could reflect the deep-engrained gender biases that exist in healthcare across the board and point to how the nursing industry may be impacted as more female physicians enter the field. Part of the problem in solving the bias may be as simple as having more female doctors as the norm, and not the exception. 

🤔Nurses, how do you think more female doctors will impact the nursing industry? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!