Page 8 - Layout 1

PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE

Women in Medicine:

Future Challenges

By Rodolfo “Rudy” Molina, MD, MACR, FACP, 2021 BCMS President

Your county medical society traditionally dedicates the month of These are only
November to celebrate, recognize and honor women in medicine. a few thoughts to
The pandemic has changed how we hold in-person events, but cer- begin with.
tainly not how we discuss pressing or interesting topics on this mat- Women today are
ter. This issue is dedicated to serving our November tradition. still dealing with
In the March 2021 edition of this magazine, I contrasted the chal- gender stereotypes. Working women are still struggling on how to
lenges that faced the first American woman physician to the pres- compromise between their family and job career. A study from the
ent-day challenges of our female colleagues. So, I thought it would Harvard and Yale Schools of Business following men and women
be interesting to look ahead and review possible future challenges over 20 years found that 90% of the men were still working, whereas
for women in medicine. First, we should examine what futurists are only about 50% of the women remained at their jobs. Men are ex-
saying about the world in general, and then apply those predictions pected to be decisive and driven, whereas women sensitive and com-
to potential challenges that could affect women in medicine. munal. If a woman complains or deviates from this stereotype, she
is labeled as “not a team player.” A problem with stereotyping is that
Here are the facts that offer some predictions: not all those who are guilty of it are aware of their bias (not just men
• To maintain a nation’s population, the birth rate for a couple needs but women too) and unless this conversation goes forward, gender
to be 2.1. In the United States, the birth rate is presently 1.7, and bias will not change and will remain a future challenge.
in countries with low birth rates such as Japan, 71% of working The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled the use of telemedicine
age women have returned to the workforce out of necessity. as a new norm. Women in certain specialties may find their niche,
• In the business world, women brokers are more conservative than balancing raising a family and maintaining a successful medical ca-
their male counterparts and take less risks on their investments. reer by incorporating telemedicine in their practice. I’ve been sur-
They tend to spend more money on education, health care and prised how many of my patients, both young and old, preferred
insurance compared to men. telemedicine visits. In addition, the use of AI, which is an enormous
• More women are entering the workforce in the U.S., and not just topic in of itself, may allow some women in certain specialties more
in medicine. (A prediction: by 2030, women are estimated to time at home by partnering with it. By one analysis, specialties in
hold more than half of the world’s wealth). medicine can be divided into two categories: pattern and non-pat-
• In an article recently published discussing the future of business tern recognition. The two best examples of pattern recognition in
organizations, the Future-Proof Organization discussed different medicine are radiology and pathology. It is in these two specialties
strategies. One piece of advice was to “tech up.” For us in medi- where AI has a growing presence. By having AI review radiologic or
cine, it will mean other things, including the use of Artificial In- histologic images for a definitive diagnosis, and programming it so
telligence (AI), interoperative EMRs and telemedicine. that only complex cases are chosen for human review, this could be
• In a 1953 Gallop Poll asking preference for either a male or fe- a time-saver. This leads us into our next topic.
male boss, 66% preferred a male boss and only 4% preferred a fe- Time management in medicine is not a gender-specific issue and
male boss. This poll/question has been asked every year since one that we all value. What we do with our time is what gives it
then, and in 2017, 23% preferred a male boss, 21% preferred a value. A mother, wife and doctor prioritizing her time is a struggle
female boss and the rest remained neutral. without outside support. As more women enter the medical work-

8 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • November 2021