Power in numbers

Yay! So there will be NO lab exam next week. The anatomy course coordinator sent around an email today:

“Due to a lack of communication the date for the CVS/RESP lab exam was not posted on [schedule website]. My sincerest apologies.

Since the class was only informed about it this week, we feel it would be unfair to ask you to write the lab exam on the scheduled date of Mar25th…

I hope you have still gained some knowledge from the lab and will carry this forward into other areas of your studying, but under the circumstances you will not be directly tested on the lab material.”

How lovely of her. I think we can attribute this to a number of our classmates who kindly mentioned our ‘concerns’ to the Associate Dean. Thanks D! We heart you!

On another note, has any one read this article from Maclean’s regarding the doctor shortage? If not, it basically makes the assertion that the doctor shortage we are having in Canada right now can be directly attributed to the increasing number of female doctors and medical students. When I read this, I was horrified, shocked and exceedingly angered on how such a sexist, and ignorant statement could be made. To say that my fellow female colleagues and I do not work as hard as our male counterparts or that the reason Canadians cannot find doctors is because there are more females, is beyond wrong.

It is true that this generation is working much less than the older generation. However, I think this actually a good thing when doctors balance both their personal and professional lives. Plus this phenomenon applies to both males AND females. I mean happier doctor means better doctor right? I certainly would not want a depressed, burned out physician taking care of me or my family. A good doctor is a good doctor, regardless of their gender.

This scapegoating of females is shocking, and it was certainly an awakening for me to realize that such sexist sentiments are still rampant in our society. The fact of the matter is the doctor shortage is a complex problem we are facing in this country today. Many factors are involved including our aging population, as well as earlier policies made in the early 90s to limit medical school enrolment. It DOES NOT, and I repeat, DOES NOT relate to the increasing number of females in the profession.

I am happy, though, that we have many health care leaders supporting us in this case. The Deans of two of Canada’s largest medical schools (University of Toronto & University of Western Ontario) have written editorials in recent publications of the CMAJ and The Toronto Star to denounce these statements. To quote from them:

“To suggest that a physician workforce that more equitably represents women in the workplace is the barrier to access is frankly a sexist excuse for logic. To disparage in any way the intelligent, dedicated women from Canada and elsewhere who have chosen to devote their lives to medical practice is shameful. The blame game gets us no closer to achieving what Canadians expect from us — a health care system that provides quality and timely access to well-trained, well-equipped, compassionate health care providers.”

You tell them ladies!