Statistics concerning women in medicine—their numbers, motivations, problems, and attitudes—from the basis for this pleasant little book. There is no flag-waving for women's rights. This is an account of the sociological and emotional factors that determine which young girls aspire to enter medicine and complete medical training, and how they organize their lives.
Why do some women become doctors? The effects of family goals are explored, as well as finances and, most of all, society's tendency to negate the idea of a profession for women. The problems encountered by women in the various phases of medical training, from undergraduate to residency level, are described and illustrated by personal interviews. There is a sensible discussion of the reactions and adaptations seen when women participate in the predominantly male profession.
The combination of marriage and medicine is a challenge to the three fourths of all women doctors who are married. The competition