What Role Does Representation Play in Medicine?

Growing up in our progressive community, I frequently saw women in professional fields. Given my father’s profession, I mostly witnessed this representation in healthcare. However, I didn’t realize that women in white coats had been rare in the past.

Honoring women physicians in our community is important to me, as representation in all forms matters. By questioning what representation in medicine truly means, I wanted to hear the perspectives of women physicians in Kitsap County. I learned from them what it means to be a physician, about obstacles they had to overcome, and the challenges women face in balancing motherhood and their career. Through the survey I created, women physicians shared their unique journeys through medicine, providing numerous representative models.

It’s now acceptable for women to work in every field, but what does it mean for a woman to be in medicine? Survey respondents expressed their views on why women physicians are important: Dr. Jillian Worth--in family medicine--explained that empathy is an important characteristic many female physicians bring to their practice. Dr. Sirisha Jain, an oncologist, placed empathy within the larger context of diversity in medicine, highlighting awareness of cultural, ethnic, or gender differences around patient care. This led me to question in general the problem of representation in medicine. As diversity improves, how can the medical community as a whole improve patient-doctor relationships?

Dr. Sue Reimer, pediatrician

As minorities in the field of medicine, women described some of the obstacles they encountered. I found particularly interesting what retired physicians had to say, as they have seen more women go into medicine over time. Dr. Sue Reimer, a former pediatrician, explained how the skepticism about women she encountered in medical school in 1973 made her feel that she needed to excel not just for herself, but for other women. Dr. Willa Fisher, who formerly worked locally in public health, said when she went to medical school, female students were rare, and her medical school boasted the highest percentage of women medical students--only 10%. Today, women make up more than half the seats in medical school.

For women in all careers, the balance of motherhood and work is a chief concern. While medicine is particularly demanding, most of the responses found common ground. Dr. Lineberry, who specializes in diagnostic radiology, worked part-time when her children were younger and emphasized that a helpful community makes this balance possible. Dr. Robbins, a general surgeon, and many other respondents believe that being a mother helped them become better doctors and influenced their overall approach to care. Dr. Robbins also credited the support she received from her husband, who shared traditional “women’s” duties to help maintain a balance between career and family.

Medicine should be open to all types of people. Along with representation come tolerance and new perspectives, improving the quality of patient-doctor relationships. The importance of diversity in medicine cannot be understated, and I am committed to raising awareness of how representation can impact patient care as well as patient outcome.

My thanks to all of the women who generously shared their experiences with me, anonymous or not. Due to the number of responses, I could only share some highlights, but I am passionate about continuing this project.