Why women go to medical college but fail to practise medicine: perspectives from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
| Autor: | Sualeha Siddiq Shekhani, Farhat Moazam |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Medical psychology Students Medical 020205 medical informatics Safety net education Context (language use) 02 engineering and technology Role conflict Education Interviews as Topic 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine 0202 electrical engineering electronic engineering information engineering Popular belief Humans Pakistan 030212 general & internal medicine Qualitative Research Medical education Cultural Characteristics Career Choice Education Medical Gender Identity General Medicine Focus Groups Focus group Cross-Sectional Studies Female Psychology Graduation Qualitative research |
| Zdroj: | Medical education. 52(7) |
| ISSN: | 1365-2923 |
| Popis: | Context Female medical students outnumber men in countries such as Saudi Arabia, India and Pakistan, yet many fail to practise medicine following graduation. In Pakistan, 70% of medical students are women, yet it is estimated that half of them will not pursue medicine following graduation. This is considered a major reason for physician shortages in the country. Methods We conducted a qualitative study drawing upon the 'role strain' theory to explore the views of final-year medical students from four medical colleges in Karachi, Pakistan, on female graduates not entering the medical field. Data were obtained through 20 individual in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions. Themes were developed inductively from the data using the constant comparison method. Results Pakistani parents actively channel daughters into medical education, considering medicine to be the most 'respectable' field. However, in a patrilocal society with norms of early, arranged marriages for daughters, there is a significant influence of in-laws and a husband on a woman's professional future. Parents perceive the medical degree as a 'safety net' should something go wrong with the marriage, rather than a step toward a medical career. Female respondents experience significant role conflict between their socially rooted gender roles as homemakers and mothers and their careers in medicine. Postgraduate training systems that are unfriendly to women provide further deterrents for women wishing to work. Contrary to popular belief, women not practising medicine is not the sole contributor to physician shortages. A significant factor appears to be male graduates migrating abroad for better training and financial prospects. Conclusions Acceptance of traditional cultural values, including entrenched gender roles in society, deters women from practising medicine. To enable greater participation of women in the medical field, steps are required that will allow women to better manage family and work conflicts. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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