Gender and Medical Specialization: Segregation By Culture or Choice?

Women taking to gainful employment and professional practice are on the rise in India and medicine is one such profession which by its nature, prestige and rewards comes to be sought after most by women.  It is precisely owing to these traits, the medical profession has been strongly aspired by their male counterparts as well, which might bring into play the forces of gender bias and  gender discrimination as has been the case with the phenomenon of gainful employment in general. The paper seeks to ascertain empirically the considerations, motivations and compulsions influencing the choice of branch of medicine by women in medical profession.  The findings are based on in-depth interviews with 237 women physicians in the City of Bangalore in India.  The findings reveal that women doctors are inclined and constrained to avoid such branches that tend to be male dominated.  It is further noticed that women doctors tend to opt for the soft specializations that are  less sought after by their male counterparts and hence are less expensive in terms of course fees and capitation, and also are relatively  less paid   on the one hand and provide less intrinsic satisfaction and recognition in medical circles and society  on the other.  The experiences and dispositions of women doctors appear to indicate that their decisions on specialization tend to be culturally conditioned and are outcome of their tendency to avoid areas of medicine over which their male counterparts are assumed exercise a cultural and professional prerogative and unjustified monopoly.