Evaluations in residency also favor men. One study found that at the beginning of the residency, women residents were rated as slightly better on average than their male peers, but by the end of training were on average 3 to 4 months behind their male counterparts. Differences in residency evaluations have real consequences for physicians’ careers. They affect their selection in competitive fellowships, research awards, and even the licensing process.

Obstetric violence is institutional, gender-based violence, suffered by pregnant women at the hands of healthcare personnel. In a 2007 law, Venezuela said it includes dehumanised treatment, abuse of medication, and “the appropriation of the body and reproductive processes of women by health personnel… bringing with it loss of autonomy and the ability to decide freely about their bodies and sexuality.” In 2014, the World Health Organisation described disrespectful and abusive care during childbirth – including physical and verbal abuse, refusals of care and medication, and coercive or unconsented medical procedures – as human rights violations.

“When my wife told her grandfather that I graduated from nursing school, he just laughed. But I think there are more men who are less afraid to take on what have traditionally been considered feminine roles.”

At a time of strictly observed gender roles, it was very rare for a woman to seek a medical education. In 1849—a year before WMCP opened—Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in America to earn a medical degree, from New York’s Geneva Medical College. Her initial application was subject to a vote by the all-male student body. Assuming that it was a joke, they all voted “yes.”

Researchers analyzed general industry payments, including research grants, consulting fees, and food and beverage expenses, accrued by 933,295 licensed physicians. Overall, they saw a notable gender difference in favor of male physicians in relation to engagement with industry. “These data are depressingly familiar”, said Ariane Hegewisch, program director of employment and earnings at the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research, who was not involved in the study.

It’s finally time to put the old stereotype about male doctors and female nurses away for good. According to new data this week from the Association of American Medical Colleges, female students outnumber male students in this year’s entering class at US medical schools, for the first time in history—and enrollment trends overall suggest there may well be more women in the medical field than men in the near future. Per the data, female matriculants (or enrollees) comprised 50.7% of the 21,338 people entering medical school this year. Female matriculants increased by 3.2% this year while male matriculants declined by 0.3%; what’s more, though, is that since 2015, the former group has increased by 4% while the latter has declined 6.7%.

Of the thousands of research studies in the U.S. recruiting women right now, just a few dozen specifically include pregnant women. And while the other trials technically could enroll pregnant women — after meeting certain requirements — they often don’t. “It’s absolutely possible to do studies in pregnant women,” Dr. Catherine Spong, an obstetrician who is leading the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development task force. The task force will present its recommendations to the federal health department next year.

But is it worse for women than men? A new study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests yes. Dr. Constance Guille and colleagues analyzed the mental health of more than 3,100 newly minted doctors at 44 hospitals across the country. Before starting residency, men and women had similar levels of depressive symptoms. After six months on the job, both genders experienced a sharp rise in depression scores — but the effect was much more pronounced for women. A major reason: work-family conflict, which accounted for more than a third of the disparity.

“I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve been told not to pursue medicine, not to pursue a difficult specialty, or not to work full time if I wanted to have a family,” writes Dr. Natalie Crawford on Instagram. “It is shocking at first. It breaks your heart. It makes you think that maybe you can’t do it. Eventually, you carry on.”

A woman has been chosen as president-elect of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow for the first time in its 418-year history. Dr Jackie Taylor will assume the role for one year, before taking on the three-year term as president of the college in December 2018.

When it comes to women who make an informed decision to ask for sterilization, everything from age, marital status and previous number of pregnancies to a hospital’s religious affiliation or a doctor’s personal beliefs can be used as a reason to deny care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists makes these biases explicit in 2007: The procedure “may have important effects on individuals other than the patient,” such as the patient’s husband or partner (whose approval some doctors require). The unusual requirements some doctors impose — waiting periods, age restrictions and psychological evaluations — are similar to those that legislators opposed to abortion have enacted for women seeking to terminate their pregnancies.