Practice patterns of female urologists in Australia and New Zealand

Putra, Lydia Johns; Cheng, Janice; Dowling, Caroline; Clarke, Alison L.

doi:10.1111/bju.14407

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(19 reference statements)

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“…Thus, the choice of subspecialties that involve women may also correspond to market demand (2,3). Notably, the number of female urologists is on the rise in Brazil, just like in other countries like New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. (4,5). Given the increase of…”

Section: Commentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The brazilian women in urology: current profile based on a practitioner's query

et al. 2021

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Section: Commentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The brazilian women in urology: current profile based on a practitioner's query

et al. 2021

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“…20 These perceptions might be due to a lack of familiarity with the field, probably due to short clinical exposure during medical education. 21 However, the characterizations like poor lifestyle as a urologist and greater workload might not be correct. In a survey conducted in the United Kingdom, 28% of urologists stated that their specialty decision was influenced by their undergraduate (medical school) exposure to urology.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interest of Women Medical Students in Urology. The Major Deterrents!

Mumtaz¹

2021

Urology Open A Open J

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Introduction: The medical profession was formerly a male-dominated one, but over the years, the population of female medical students has risen. The representation of women in surgery and allied specialities has always been a debate accross the world. Like most surgical fields, Urology remains a male dominant profession. A critical component of the advancement of any field is the reqruitment of the brightest medical students of both genders. To improve the distaff workforce, it is important to understand why qualified students would not enter the field. Objectives & Methodology: A total of 218 questionnaires were filled. 94 from final year students, and 124 house officers and postgraduate female doctors. The respondents were asked to choose the most appropriate response and choices among the options listed and were allowed to choose at least one but not more than three options. Results: Out of 218 females, only 26% choose to opt a career in urology, where as 74% females had a clear answer that was NO. Those who wished to join surgery considered stress during the working hours (47.8%), lifestyle and family concerns (45.7%), and interest that developed during the medical graduation (35.7%) as strong determinants. Male dominance in the field (47.8%), “do not want to operate on the genitals” (45.6%), and cultural issues (29.1%) to be the most deterring factors. Discussion: The choice of specialty by medical students is a complex process involving a myriad of variables. Lifestyle and family concerns have been the most important determining factor for choice in any surgical field (urology career 5), 45.7% in our study, which is consistent with other studies across the world, but surprisingly 15.9% of respondents cited lifestyle as a negative factor in choosing the field. The more concerning factors that refrain the final year students to enter the field as compared to house officers and postgraduate residents were lack of interest, poor lifestyle, and high work stress in the field. Adequate clinical exposure to urology enables medical students to build a rational perception of the field. The decision making can be unbiased only when it is not influenced by myths related to urology and other specializations. Conclusion It is important to develop a realistic perception of urological field that includes female urology as well. It should be ensured that medical students have clinical exposure to urology, receiving appropriate mentorship, and develop a curriculam of the specialty during undergraduate program that may substantially facilitate recruitment. Keywords: Female Urology; Women; Clinical practice; Urology

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“…Female patients prefer a female doctor for sensitive interactions, such as breast examination and cervical screening 23 . In urology, where only a small proportion of the workforce is female, there are implications of supply, as patients might not have access to a female urologist 13 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Urologists treat both men and women for medical complaints involving sexual or urinary function, all conditions that might potentially be considered embarrassing 9–12 . In Australia and New Zealand, as in other parts of the world, the urology workforce is predominantly male, with women forming just 10% of all urologists, potentially leading to limited patient access to female urologists 13 . There are currently no data for patient preferences for the gender of the treating urologist in the Australian setting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patient preference for urologist gender

Wynn

Putra

2020

Int J of Urology

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Objectives To determine the factors associated with patients preferring the gender of their treating urologist in various clinical settings. Methods A total of 400 urology outpatients participated in a structured interview on the nature of their presenting complaint, perception of their complaint and the preference for the gender of their urologist in four specific scenarios of consultation, physical examination, office‐based procedure and surgery. Patients who expressed a gender preference received follow‐up telephone calls. Results A gender preference was expressed by 63 (15.8%), 108 (27.0%), 89 (22.3%) and 29 (7.3%) patients for the scenarios of consultation, physical examination, office‐based procedure and surgery, respectively. Patients were more likely to have a preference if they were female or had a condition they considered embarrassing, with most preferences being for a gender‐concordant urologist. Reasons included a previous negative experience and perceived gender‐specific treatment styles. Patients who subsequently saw a doctor of the opposite gender to their preference were more likely to change their mind if their clinical interaction was positive. Conclusions Female patients, those with a perceived embarrassing condition and patients undergoing examination or office‐based procedures are more likely to have a gender preference for their urologist, with a subsequent positive experience leading to patients discarding pre‐existing preferences. With improved understanding of how patient characteristics, perception of their condition and previous experiences can affect their choices in various clinical situations, urologists can better meet patient expectations and address barriers to healthcare in urology.

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Practice patterns of female urologists in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract: These results provide information on the practice patterns of the increasing number of women urologists in Australia and New Zealand and have the potential to shape workforce and training planning in this region and worldwide.

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

The brazilian women in urology: current profile based on a practitioner's query

The brazilian women in urology: current profile based on a practitioner's query

The Interest of Women Medical Students in Urology. The Major Deterrents!

Patient preference for urologist gender

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