Women as physicians.

Whatever qualities are ascribed to femininity and whether these are attributed to nature or to nurture, the characteristics women display as physicians are primarily determined by the impact of their professional education, by their socialization into medical roles, and by the organization of their practices. Women physicians more nearly resemble men physicians in professional attributes than they do other women in the population. Women merit more opportunities in medicine, both on grounds of equity and in order to enlarge the pool of medical talent. However, women, in themselves, are not likely to alter the perceived shortcomings of medical practice. For that to take place, it will be necessary to modify admission criteria, to broaden the narrow focus of medical education, and to change the reward systems which govern medical practice for both women and men.