profession
Number of female physicians up 430% since 1980
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 12, 2011
Women have made great strides in the formerly male-dominated physician field, but there is still room for progress, said leaders of the American Medical Association in observance of September as "Women in Medicine Month."
From 1980 to 2009, the number of female physicians rose 430%. Women now make up nearly a third of all U.S. doctors and about half of U.S. medical students. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female medical school graduate in 1849.
The AMA said its Women Physicians Congress is devoted to increasing the number of women in medicine as well as their influence in shaping the future of health care. "The [Women Physicians Congress] provides a forum for women in medicine through mentoring and leadership development," said WPC Chair Claudia L. Reardon, MD. "By promoting women's health issues and empowering female physicians, our entire profession benefits." More information about the WPC is available at the AMA website (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/09/12/prbf0912.htm.
