Sexism in Medical Profession

In that situation, patients don’t mind the gender. Sexism plays a huge role in the medical field. When you ask a child to describe a nurse physical, for the most part, they are going to say “a girl with scrubs…”. This is because society has implanted this idea to child from the very beginning. I see it in a car, a comfortable house, and a fine family TV and books child. When the college students start making career selections, they are restricted by the social perceptions of gender. The experiences clash with the available job openings which are set against the jobs that are perceived as gender-based. For instance, the curriculum expects male students to be tough, restrictive, and competitive, play sports and become more sexually active. Therefore, when making their choices of career, they fear not to be perceived as female or be recognizes as exhibiting feminine qualities.

In exceedingly male-controlled societies, the concordance of gender between the patient and the physician is importance because of socio-cultural norms and practices that confine social and physical interaction between female and male and also establish gender roles. Additionally, gender difference may influence the treatment of specific sex-based diseases particularly those involving personal privacy. For example, a female patient may be more reluctant to disclose about vaginal itching to a male physician and similar to a male patient who would be more confident when disclosing about the open condition to a male doctor than to a female doctor. On the other hand, male nurses experience possible ridicule, lack of support as well as the devaluation of their career choice. Also, physicians might be uncomfortable to explore certain conditions or performing certain procedures with patients of the opposite sex (Andrews, 64).

For instance, male nurses also are concerned with their female patient who may accuse them of being sexually inappropriate or even view their care as sexually inappropriate. Experts say that necessary reforms are needed to turn the tide at all levels of health care. First, something has to be done to change the culture that is contributing to implicit and explicit sexism in medical schools and work environment. In order to counter the effects of gender stereotype on careers, schools should begin a career related earning in early primary years. The early thinking in children concerning the works meant for men or women comes from the roles they see around them in their families, toys, media, schools, and books. Early career-related education will help them develop the courage to choose the career of their interest without accounting for what the society expects from a man or a woman (Vandenbroeck np).

For instance, through the reformation of the curriculum, curriculum designers should seek to encourage balanced effort between girls and boys in the class. They can encourage fair competition of all learners by designing books that eliminate the perception that science and math is meant for boys whereas languages and art are meant for girls. That way, both boys and girls will grow seeking to pursue the career of their interest without the perception of gendered careers. Also, there should be a patient based program that seeks to create awareness of their conscious bias. They should be informed more on their preferential against physicians that will assist them in making an informed decision during their interaction with the physicians. Salary differences between male and female registered nurses in the United States.  Jama 313.

Vandenbroeck, Michel, Mathias Urban, and Jan Peeters.  Pathways to professionalism in early childhood education and care. Routledge, 2016.