Study finds insidious and persistent discrimination among physician mothers

Public Release: 12-Dec-2018
Urgent need to challenge norms around motherhood in medicine, say researchers
BMJ

A US study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ today finds "insidious, persistent, and sometimes blatant" manifestations of discrimination experienced by physicians based specifically on their status as mothers.

While some of the experiences are consistent with those reported by women across professions, there are unique aspects of medical training and the medical profession that exacerbate maternal discrimination, say the researchers. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/b-sfi121018.php

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The majority of medical student entrants are women, and recent studies suggest that women physicians may have better patient outcomes than their male counterparts. Yet there is compelling evidence of gender inequity in medicine.

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