Obstacles Faced By Female Doctors In Pursuing Their Careers.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the cultural and social hurdles faced by female doctors and to recognize the possible
obstacles in pursuing their careers.
Subjects and Method:
Study Design: Cross-sectional
Place: Five hospitals in Karachi, viz. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Civil Hospital, Aga Khan University
Hospital, Ziauddin Medical University Hospital and Baqai Medical University Hospital.
Duration of study: 10th August 2008 to 30" December 2008.
Sample size: 200 Female House Officers and RMOs
Sampling Technique: Simple Convenient Method
Inclusion Criterion: All the junior female doctors of these hospitals who consented to participate were included
in the study.
Results: A total of 200 female doctors participated of which 74 (379%9) were married and 126 (63%) unmarried.
The majority of the study subjects believed that though the number of women coming into the field of medicine
was growing, they still encounter certain obstacles in achieving their career goals mainly related to domestic responsibilities, cultural constraints and gender discrimination. Many female doctors had to face harassment by
male patients/attendants and also by male colleagues/seniors. They do not get suitable match or even are left
unmarried while running behind their postgraduate studies.
Conclusion: There is still a multiplicity of problems that the women perceive as hurdles in the advancement of
their career.
Initiatives are required to be taken by the government as well as the institutions to improve the conditions for career-oriented Women
Keywords: Female doctor, medicine, obstacles, career, problems.