Women Physicians: Gender and the Medical Workplace.

Background: Understanding the work habits, attitudes, and experiences of women physicians is critical for optimal patient care. In a gendered work environment, obstacles faced hinder women physicians from contributing to their full ability. This study investigated how women physicians' work habits are viewed, in the context of women's attitudes and experiences. Methods: An analysis of the medical literature (1990-2017) was undertaken. Published studies were located using search engines, article references, consultation with experts, and relevant Mesh terms. Of 1185 listings, 354 studies were evaluated and 44 articles, selected by three reviewers, were analyzed in detail. Results: Four themes emerged-practice styles, productivity, prevailing attitudes, and the workplace environment. Comparing women physicians to male colleagues as a standard for evaluating performance, for example, undervalues distinctive characteristics women bring to medical practice. Productivity models that focus on work hours, procedures, and publications do not encompass the full scope of patient care. Conclusions: Solutions offered mainly have been designed to help women physicians fit into existing workplace environments, but traditionally available "adapt or exit" options in response to challenges faced appear insufficient. A gender equity perspective helps to explain findings and suggests ways to reshape the health care workplace to better understand, utilize, and retain women physicians.

Workplace Bullying Among Family Physicians: A Gender Focused Study.

BACKGROUND: Continuing gender disparities within the medical profession have raised concerns about the extent to which women physicians face an inhospitable work environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the types and frequency of workplace bullying reported by a national sample of family physicians employed in academic settings, as related to gender. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data for this study were gathered as part of the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAMF) Educational Research Alliance (CERA) omnibus electronic survey. Respondents completed questions addressing sociodemographic and practice characteristics, general experience with bullying, types of bullying, actions in response to bullying, and outcomes. A total of 1065 academic family physicians (male = 56.8%; female = 43.2%), mostly non-Hispanic white (84.2%) or Asian (5.3%) and between the ages 30 and 60 (58.7%) completed the CERA survey. RESULTS: One in 10 respondents acknowledged bullying someone in the workplace; 30% had been personally bullied in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to men, female physicians were more likely to report being bullied overall and, specifically, to experience having their opinions ignored, lack of recognition for good work, feeling pressured not to claim rightful benefits, and being given unmanageable workloads. Despite some gender differences in actions taken, outcomes for each kind of action were the same for men and women.