Always a Nurse, Never a Doctor

Introduction

Female admittance into medical school has been historically lower to that of men because of psychological and biological assumptions, legal dependencies, and sociocultural beliefs. The inference that females are subordinate to males because of their assumed natural inabilities is a prime example of this. We want to research why, although women are equally capable of achieving medical degrees and pursuing careers in the medical field, they are vastly outnumbered by males and face adversities in their medical pursuits. We plan to accomplish this by interviewing three female physicians in the Atlanta area and comparing their experiences to articles such as, “The Sexual Politics of Interpersonal Behavior,” "Women and Doctors in Medicine,” and “Women in Medicine: A New Paradigm.” Through these readings, we can gain a better perspective on why the struggle of female physicians is a women’s issue. Women can potentially have their aspirations of being a medical professional limited because society generally views women as inferior in relationships. If we are to interpret this to include doctor-patient relationships, then this is obviously a limiting quality because either the patient might not take the female seriously, or those educating aspiring doctors might not encourage the female students in the same way that they do their male counterparts. There is also a stereotype that women are easily susceptible to becoming stressed and self-doubting in their medical pursuits. This relates to the presumption that female physicians may be hesitant to perform procedures and/or undermine their own abilities. This lack of confidence can be a serious issue when it comes to treating patients and possibly even saving lives. In addition, it is described that one possible reason for the drastic gap in numbers is failing attitudes of female aspirants; many women simply feel that because of social stereotypes, it is next to impossible to achieve the same medical degree as a man.

Purpose of Research

We would like to research the adversities women face in the medical field by interviewing three female physicians in various fields of medicine. These women are Dr. Linda Ritter, anesthesiologist, Dr. Charlotte Shaak, pediatrician, and Dr. Brooke Corbett, dentist. By interviewing women in different fields, we feel that we will obtain a more holistic view of the struggles and obstacles women face in their medical pursuits. We plan to focus on the gender discrimination women face in the admission process to medical schools, adversities faced while in medical school, and issues they are still facing today. As they practice medicine, we intend to inquire about how their patients feel about them being females and how they are observed by other male physicians. Furthermore, we want to ask their opinion on the progression of the medical field in regards to gender. Do they feel that the medical field is improving in its female numbers? Are the obstacles women face being lessened? What does the increase in female doctors over the years mean in terms of medicine? In terms of feminism?

Interviews

Dr. Linda Ritter

Dr. Linda Ritter is an anesthesiologist working at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, Georgia. She works in a group with male physicians in varying fields. Some of the striking examples of adversity and stories Dr. Ritter shared with us revolved around coworkers and the application process. At medical school, only 20 of the 180 students were female. When she went to interview for her first job, the male interviewers asked her what she would plan to do if she ever got pregnant. Dr. Ritter was taken aback, knowing that men applying were probably not being asked the same question. Furthermore, the issue of women taking time off of work for maternity leave was a major concern Ritter addressed. When Dr. Ritter was faced with medical problems, including a hysterectomy, she received little cooperation from her employers. Time taken off work for maternity leave and female health complications had to be taken without pay or from future years’ vacation time. A second example that seemed to be prevalent throughout all three interviews was the treatment Dr. Ritter received from older doctors and patients. Once she entered a room to examine an elderly man and he assumed she was the nurse and asked for the doctor. She stated that people of earlier generations tend to be more struck by seeing a female physician. She gave several other examples of how older patients were confused by her status and seemed uncomfortable entrusting her with their health. However, younger generations seem far more comfortable with female doctors and, often times, prefer them for their similar experiences in their own lives and caring natures. A final example of Dr. Ritter’s views of women in medicine was when she joined a medical practice. She recommended some well-qualified female doctors for the practice and was refused, being told by her male colleagues that they “didn’t see a need for another female” in the group. While Dr. Ritter has experienced adveristies in her career, her general observation of women in medicine is overall positive. These days, she believes that the medical field is a solid representation of gender equality. She has noticed that over time, females have had an increasingly strong presence in the medical field and encourages both men and women capable of the work to pursue a career in medicine.

Dr. Charlotte Shaak

Dr. Charlotte Shaak completed medical school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She currently works as a pediatrician at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the newborn nursery. She explained several adversities that she has faced during her time in medical school and career as a female physician. One example she mentioned was during one of her internal medical rotations, where she was one of two females in a group of five. Most of the questions were directed at the three males and when grades came out, the men received A's while the women received D's. She went on to explain that this experience prevented her from making it into the medical school honor society. Although she felt that she had faced several obstacles, she noted that this was not the case when applying to medical school. She stated that there were 33 females out of 125 in her medical school class, but this was mainly because there were not many females applying to medical school. The last comment that she made was that most people feel that males are the only recognizable doctors. However, she explains that the only way to overcome this, is to simply ignore it because “there are many people that think it's great” and that “many people would much rather see a female doctor than a male doctor.” Dr. Shaak said that she sees the medical field improving in terms of gender. She added that there are many more opportunities in certain fields that allow women to pursue a medical career as well as have a family and that the field has changed dramatically in order to encourage females to pursue their medical career.

Dr. Brooke Corbett

Dr. Brooke Corbett is a practicing dentist and mother of one child. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2001 and completed her medical degree at University of Alabama Birmingham medical school in 2006. Dr. Corbett is employed part time as a dentist but devotes most of her time to being a mother. We asked Dr. Corbett to share with us an example of adversity or discrimination that she faced in her pursuit to become a dentist, and she quickly recalled a specific experience with a professor at her medical school. The professor made the point that when he graduated from school 30 years ago there were 200 graduating dentists in his class, but he made a point to subtract the 20 female medical students from that number, and so he considered his graduating class to have 180 dentists. So, for Dr. Corbett’s class which truly contained 60 graduating dentists, he claimed that there were only 40 graduating dentists. The professor made this point twice, which Dr. Corbett claimed was aimed to make the female medical students seem unimportant. She made a point that she has not personally faced adversity in regards to her gender in dealing with patients, but stated that her friends do face adversity in their smaller rural communities in Alabama. In addition, Dr. Corbett is relatively young for a practicing dentist and some patients are worried by her age. However, many patients prefer a younger dentist such as herself. She also noted that she will occasionally face sexist remarks from older male dentists when she meets with them at the various dental associations because they usually assume she’s an assistant and look down upon the fact that she works part time to raise a child. Fortunately, Dr. Corbett said she did not face much adversity for applying to medical school because the school was looking for diversity. Dr. Corbett feels that the medical industry, in terms of women, was certainly improving at a steady rate. She said that her class only around 20% female, but when she graduated, the entering freshman class percentage of male to females was 50%. From this feedback from Dr. Corbett, we can incur that the number of women in the medical field is on the rise.

Conclusion

Our research has brought us to the conclusion that the medical field is progressing in terms of gender. The gender gap once represented by doctors is closing rapidly and female physicians are becoming more prevalent. Though all three of the physicians we interviewed were able to give examples of adversity they had faced or witnessed, the overall impression was that the obstacles and adversities weren't outlandish or seriously detrimental to their medical pursuits. Today, females are encouraged to join the medical field and the male to female ratio has seemed to balance out. The trend in statistics correlates with the observations of each of our interviewees. This means that the stereotypes and stigma of medical careers are being broken down and giving both genders equal opportunities and recognition in their occupational pursuits. This exemplifies positive feminism as the barriers and adversities faced by women are being overcome and diminished. Nowadays, the gender of one's physician doesn't seem to be nearly as important as the physician's ability to help the patient.

Group Reflection

Our group felt that this project was complex, but successful. First and foremost, our topic proved to be challenging to coordinate. Working with doctors’ schedules proved to be difficult and the holidays posed even more scheduling conflicts. Because of the busy lifestyle of physicians, we struggled to find doctors willing to take time to speak with us. Also, it seemed that many didn’t want to go on record speaking on the topic of gender discrimination in their places of work. However, our three interviews were overwhelmingly optimistic. All three of our interviewees felt that medicine is moving in the right direction, with more equal numbers of men and women in the field. Also, the younger generations show no signs of gender preference or discrimination towards their physicians. Though the doctors may have overcome adversity, they attest that the gender gap is growing infinitely smaller in the field. Seeing this firsthand was very empowering for our group. We were able to hear the changes of medicine over time directly from women who had experienced such change. All three women were amazing human beings and we benefited from their time with us.

Women in Biology

Introduction

Academics have historically been a domain overwhelmingly reserved for men. The realm of academics has only relatively recently been made available to women, and within it few fields remain as sexually exclusive as the sciences. The gender disparity within these fields is remarkably high and challenges both female professionals working in the sciences as well as female students breaking into the field. The vast majority of men still working in the field compared to the smaller number of women calls into question women's opportunities versus their expected roles. Through each phase of women's education in preparation for a career in science, most notably biology, women drop out of their education at a much higher rate than men. This is often due to various social factors and pressures which range from a sense of not belonging in a major increasingly dominated by men as the level of education increases to suddenly being faced with social pressure to raise a family. If the science of life continues to center around the investigations and experiments done by men more than those of women, how can equality for women be achieved, and stereotyping of women's abilites and roles be defeated? In order to better understand the situation of women in this field, we have interviewed three prominent female biologists from the University of Georgia: Dr. Sue Wessler, Dr. Ellen Neidle, and Dr. Rebecca Bartel.

Purpose of the Research

Statistics show that fewer women than men choose to go into scientific fields, and even fewer become successful professionals within the field. The purpose of our research project was to interview three women who have achieved success in scientific fields, in order to understand how their gender has affected their experiences in the scientific community. Throughout the years, women have overcome huge obstacles in order to become advanced scientists. Our research means to understand this process.

The Interviews

Dr. Sue Wessler

Dr. Wessler is a professor of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia. When she came to the university in the 1980s, she was only one of two female faculty members in her department. Now the female to male faculty ratio is closer to 40-50%, she says. Although she does not feel that she has ever been hindered by her gender in the scientific community, she is quick to point out that her female predecessors in the field (prominent female scientists such as Mildred Cohn and Barbara McClintock) did face many struggles because of their gender. "I feel very fortunate for when I was born, and where I was born.... I feel that this is one of the first times in the history of humanity that women have been allowed to excel," she says. She points out that most students nowadays are female: most students in college, in graduate school, and in medical school. She does mention that she feels she sometimes treats her own female graduate students differently from the male ones--she feels that, on average, her female students need more encouragement than the males, because, "on average, women are more honest about their shortcomings [than men]" and, sometimes, therefore more insecure. From her perspective, gender dynamics in her field are changing, and women are continuing to overcome the disadvantages that faced early female scientists.

Dr. Ellen Neidle

Dr. Neidle is a professor of Microbiology at the University of Georgia. She was happy to meet with us and ready to answer our questions, and she seemed excited to have an opportunity to discuss women's issues in her field with women's studies students. Dr. Neidle told us that she had actually attempted talks and made efforts to raise awareness of gender issues present within the biology field, especially at UGA. She talked extensively about the way that common societal structures of families often put a halt in women biologists' educations and careers. Dr. Neidle noted that, in her experience, undergraduate women tend to drop out more than men, but once they reach graduate school, the proportion of the sexes are fairly equal. She mentioned that in her graduate class, there were six women and five men, all of whom received their doctorates. However, the proportion of women being hired into the scientific fields is much less than even with men, in Dr. Neidle's experience. By the time biologists are done with their doctorates and post-doctoral research, they are in their mid-thirties, and so women disproportionately find themselves in positions where they settle down and begin a family while the man becomes the breadwinner. As Dr. Neidle said, she felt that "there's a lot of denial.... I've been really trying to make my colleagues more aware of the situation, and they really deny that there is an issue and yet I don't understand how women could have been getting Ph.D.s at the same rate as men for twenty or thirty years and yet for [biology] faculty to have very low percentages of women."

Dr. Rebecca Bartel

Dr. Bartel works in the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. She was very open to talking to us about all of her past experiences that have gotten her to where she is today. She stated that she did not feel that more women have dropped out of graduate school than men, and that her classes in graduate school felt very evenly distributed. The main problem women are having at this point is staying in the academia field and trying to maintain a family. Dr. Bartel said that while she was in school, she had no female advisors or professors. Although she had no female role models, all of her male advisors were very supportive of her decision to continue her graduate studies Dr. Bartel also talked about how gender was always an issue when it came to women in science. Employers are always wondering when women will begin to start a family, and how much actual working time these women will have. Dr. Bartel really stressed how hard it can be at times to have both a family and a career by saying, "I do think that it is challenging to be this sort of superhero, and try and you know, juggle all your balls in the air, with your family, and trying to have a family, and trying to be successful professionally. In her specific field of ecology, there are always gender risks that occur. She used the example of traveling in the woods with a 50 pound pack, and how men are always offering to carry it because they do not believe that she can handle it. As more times goes on, Dr. Bartel has noticed that women have started becoming the dominating force in the scientific field and she really hopes that trend continues.

Conclusion

All three women that we interviewed mentioned the struggles of their predecessors, and what those women had to overcome to be accepted and appreciated in their field. All of the women noticed that ever so slowly, women are starting to become the majority in college and university settings, and also even (in some cases, such as in many classrooms) within the scientific field. But even with the huge strides that women have made in broadening their opportunities in this field, there are sill unique challenges that they face in the scientific professions. These challenges are mainly due to overlapping roles that women in the workplace must face, particularly those roles within the family. These are the issues facing the current generation as it makes its way into the scientific field.

Group Reflection

This project was very instructive for us as an entire group. We learned so much about women in science, and just how strong these women really are. One thing that really shocked us was how informed all the women seemed to be. They were all well informed in the women’s issues that are going on in the scientific field. Another thing that we all got out of this was the connections these women gave us. All three of the women were extremely willing to help us discover more about careers in science, and answering any questions that we had. Having those connections could be beneficial to us later on in our education.

Women & Beauty Pageants: Going Behind the Tiaras

Statement of the Issue:

Beauty pageants have captured the American spotlight for decades. Usually, beauty pageants are described by the American public as a parade of young women that traipse around in different outfits perform a talent, and answer an interview question. There is an ideal that is set in the minds of Americans, but countless pageants take place beyond the vision of the majority of the American population. Pageants take place on a number of scales, and with a number of different prizes. Beauty pageants seem to contradict the definition of feminism Freedman provides in her book, No Turning Back (2002) and beauty pageants were the cause of feminist protesting (Kreydatus 2008). However, this is a feminist issue due to the many ways women develop a sense of agency and empowerment. There are some women that find pageants empowering, with the chances to earn scholarships, participate in philanthropic events, be a role model for young girls, and learn values such as hard work and dedication.

Purpose of the Research:

We decided to interview three women that participated or were involved in some way with beauty pageants. We seek to answer the question: Why do women chose to participate in pageants and how do they feel that their participation empowers them as women? We wished to understand the positive aspects of pageants, although we are fully aware negative aspects exist. We wished to learn why three women within one family competed in pageants. Lauren, Lacey, and Leigh Pass were involved in the pageant world for many years and we wished to understand how these pageants or if they helped empower them. Lauren and Lacey participated in pageants from a very young age until they chose to stop. While their mother Leigh never competed in pageants, was a ‘pageant mom’ and supported her daughters participation. Instead of interviewing three separate participate, we wished to understand pageants within the family dynamic.

Lauren Pass:

Lauren was the first interview conducted, she is twenty-two years old and in her last year of North Georgia College. She was the more active of the two girls in pageants. Lauren began pageants at a young age, when she was around six weeks old, but as she grew older she participate for the enjoyment and also the possible scholarship money. Lauren’s pageant experience differed from other girls because her mother was extremely crafty. Her mother made her clothes, did her hair and make-up. Although pageants did cost money, with the support of her mother, her grandmother and the family working together, Lauren was able to participate in pageants. Lauren stopped participating in pageants at age eighteen, during her senior year of high school, stating that that is the age when you need to decide whether you are serious about competing in the larger pageants such as Miss Teen USA. When asked about stereotypes, Lauren did not deny their existence, but stated also that not all pageant participants are the same. One cannot assume that all pageant girls are the same. Although at the pageant a girl is supposed to act a certain way, the pageant attitude and clothes were not about of her personal life. She explained that she always knew the line between real life and pageant life. Lauren believes in the positive aspects of pageants, explaining that she felt bad when the Tara O’Conner scandal occurred, for the negative impact that gave to the young girls that looked up to her. Pageants are not all about the outer appearance, Lauren explained how many pageants require community service and provide scholarships. Lauren and her friends created the “Pageant of Hope”, a pageant for cancer or mentally disabled children, where they could get dressed up and participate in a pageant.

Lacey Pass:

Lacey was the second interview conducted; she is eighteen years old and also participated in pageants. Although Lacey did not participate as long as her sister, she stopped around the age of twelve, but started at the same age, around six weeks old. Lacey never participated in the interview part of pageants, explaining that part is for the older girls, and when girls are younger the judges look for different things. Lacey’s experience is very similar to her sisters, she commented that she remembers being in a hotel room having to sit still when her mother was doing her make-up and having to practice for the pageants. Lacey agrees that there are stereotypes, but that there is a difference between what the media shows and what really happen in pageants. Many pageants are at the local level and there are countless differences between the larger pageants and the local ones. Lacey explained that some of the girls are not as flashy or driven by their appearance. She mentions some positive aspects about pageants: self-confidence, discipline in posture, being able to multi-task, and teaches girls real from fake.

Leigh Pass:

Leigh is the mother of Lauren and Lacey. Although she never competed in pageants, she decided to put her daughters in pageants because of her sister, who participated in pageants. Leigh put Lauren and Lacey in pageants when they were younger, but when they got older, they always had the choice of whether or not they wished to continue participating. She explained that she considers herself a stage mom, but because of the time and dedication that was necessary. In order to prepare for some pageants, she would outline a stage on the carpet, because the stage changed from pageant to pageant. Since the pageants did cost a lot of money to participate in, Leigh did her daughter’s hair and make-up. Also she would save money by not buying expensive dresses, instead she bought plain dresses and added her own embellishments. In response to the negative aspects, such as making the child look fake by having spray tans, and fake nails, she commented that when her daughters were in pageants, they were not as prevalent. With the media influence of pageants, she stated that the media goes in to find the bad, and does not try to find the good in pageants.

Conclusion:

Women chose to participate in pageants for a number of reasons. In Lauren and Lacey’s case, their mother entered them at a very young age, but when they got older, always had the choice of competing. Also, there are all types of pageants, the requirements change and so does the scale with each individual pageant. Whether women find pageants empowering must be for those women who chose to participate in them. Actually participating in pageants is a very different experience that watching them. Women find agency through a variety of means, so if women find a sense of self from pageants, than that can empower them. All three of the women we interviewed agree that there are negative aspects about pageants, but if the individual finds the experience fun and beneficial, a lot of good things are able to come from pageants.

Group Reflection:

Initially, we as a group were skeptical of the pageant life. What we had seen about pageants was on television or what we have read about in the media with knowledge of the scandals clouding our thoughts. However, after conducting these interviews, we had a new look on pageants. We realized that women chose to do different things for different reasons, and if women chose to participate in pageants, then that is their prerogative. We can not define feminism in our own terms as each woman carries her own definition and finds certain events and experiences empowering. We learned a lot about the positive aspects of pageants like the “Pageant of Hope” Lauren and her friends did for children in need and about the self-confidence in meeting new people and in public speaking that can be gained from pageants. Negative aspects are prevalent in pageantry, but much of that is hyped by the media and certain events that capitalize on the flaws of pageant life. Pageants are just another form of expression, and when not taken to the extreme of totally changing a woman’s body and making every woman appear the same, they can be empowering to certain women who chose to participate in them. If women understand the limits, then they can be a positive experience.

Women Who Wrap

Statement of the issue
The issue that we [group four] researched was Muslim women who veil. Common misconceptions associated with Muslim veiling, make it a major feminist issue in today’s society. Muslim women who veil, do so by wearing a headscarf, traditionally known as a hijabs. The word hijab in Arabic actually means “to conceal.” While some view veiling as a sign of women’s oppression and others merely view it as a religious symbol, all of the misconceptions deserve to be clarified. Whether Muslim women veil for religious or political reasons the controversy around the issue is actively affecting Muslim women all over the globe. Veiling is an important feminist issue, primarily because it is a tradition that has been under attack for decades. It is an issue that even “feminist” have attacked as a form of oppression or domination. All muslim practices have received increased attention in the United States since 911, but veiling in particular, has been at the center of feminist debate. "Western" notions have insinuated that muslim women who veil, do so because they have no choice in the matter. This is something that feminist should spend a great deal of time and energy defending.


Purpose of the research
The purpose of our research was to understand why muslim women choose to veil and to hear what they have to say to people who claim that veiling is somehow oppressive or demeaning. As a group, we hoped to get an overall better understanding of how this muslim tradition is not only liberating, but how it is an individual choice that is different for every woman, according to her personal beliefs and experiences. Every member of our group was present for every interview. This was necessary primarily because we all took notes, which helped us catch every single response. We were able to get women of different ages, from different regions and with different cultural backgrounds. This was something that was very important to us. Our reason for seeking diversity is that we expect these differences to influence these women’s reasons for veiling.

Abeer (1st interview)
The first person we interviewed was Abeer. Abeer was a Muslim woman from Egypt with a heavy foreign accent. When asked to be video taped, Abeer, like the rest who followed, did not want to be video taped. It became obvious to us that Abeer was a very religious by how she dressed. On her head she wore a hijab, and the rest of her body was covered with clothing. She had on a long sleeved shirt that covered her arms and a long skirt that covered all of her legs. Abeer told us that she was a very religious woman which is why she dresses the way she does. She said that she did not think different of anybody who did not practice her religion or of the American women that do not cover their body. Abeer said the way she dresses is influenced by the Qur’an and not forced upon her by the men of her religion.

Rameela Rizvi, Raneem Rizvi, and Afrah Aman (2nd Interview)
After completing our first interview, Casey, Elizabeth, Megan and I were gathered around a picnic table behind the Islamic Center. We were discussing how to conduct our next interview when a group of three young girls exited a minivan and began to walk toward the center’s back door. Megan, always gung-ho, greeted the girls and asked them if they would like to answer some questions for us. I called to Megan that they should ask their parents’ permission. Once the girls were given the go-ahead by their parents, we began the interview. However, as was the theme at the Islamic center, the girls’ parents did not want them to be filmed or photographed. Megan and I stood among them by the back door to the center. The three girls were named Rameela Rizvi (13), Raneem Rizvi (11), and Afrah (11) Aman. They all seemed eager to talk to us, and each of the three wore a hijab. We asked, “Why do you personally choose to wear your hijab?” Rameela answered, “It’s part of our religion. Wearing it makes you closer to your religion.” Raneem agreed.“It makes me more comfortable when I pray."

Shamaila (3rd Interview)
Our third interview was with a women named Shamaila. Shamaila is forty two years old and the mother of Rameela. She moved to the United States from Pakistan when she was thirty years old with the hopes of raising her children here. Shamaila was more than willing to speak with us, unlike many of the other women at the Islam Center. It seemed as though, she was eager to help people have a better understanding of why muslim women choose to veil and wear hijabs. When we asked Shamaila why she personally chose to wear her hijab, she explained that it is compulsory, meaning it is required by Islamic law. She was very matter of fact about it, stating that she knew her whole life that she would veil. Never questioned it and never second guessed the decision.


Conclusion
After conducting our interviews, we have ascertained that Muslim women (or our sample of Muslim women) do not see their hijabs as a form of oppression. It was the stance of all of our interviewees that wearing a hijab is a choice that a woman is free to make. Furthermore, all of our interviewees expressed the opinion that Muslim women who do not wear hijabs should not be treated any differently than those who do.


Group Reflection
This project was very interesting, yet somewhat difficult. First of all, finding three muslim women, in Athens, who aren't students proved to be a challenge from the very beginning. Once we found the Islamic center, it went from being logistically difficult to ethically complicated. We understood we were entering a holy place of worship and we wanted to be as respectful a possible. Once we found the women we wanted to interview, we discovered they were rather closed off and reserved, from not wanting to be photographed or video taped to not wanting to us in their actual prayer room. We understood their precautions, and felt like they loosened up and held back less toward the end of our interviews. We recognized this project as an opportunity to communicate and inquire with real muslim women and we appreciated getting our responses first hand.