Ranks of female surgeons on the rise

More women join occupation long dominated by men

Kuang Jie, chief thyroid surgeon at Ruijin Hospital, a prestigious medical institution in Shanghai, was the only woman enrolled in its general surgery department when she began her career 25 years ago.

Over the years, the number of female surgeons in a field long dominated by men has increased gradually, with some women breaking new ground by working in departments such as neurosurgery and orthopedics, she said.

"Gender differences are narrowing across industries. Not all men are as strong as people imagine. Some are gentle, both in appearance and personality, while some women are quite resolute, brisk and efficient," Kuang said.

Several factors have contributed to the increased role played by women in medicine, she added.

Minimally invasive procedures now account for more than 90 percent of surgeries, significantly reducing their duration. Moreover, in addition to clinical skills, research and teaching capabilities become important in assessing a doctor's ability.

For many years, about one in every 10 surgeons at Kuang's hospital was a woman, but there has been a slight increase in this proportion in recent years.

A report issued in 2019 by the surgical branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association said women accounted for 6 percent of surgeons nationwide.

Kuang said, "More women joining surgical departments may offer patients an unprecedented experience clinically, although the occupational barrier for them is still high."

After working as a resident in surgical and internal medicine departments in the late 1990s, she said she was more excited to work in the former department.

Over the years, Kuang has found that men's physical strength, a common reason among many people for excluding women as surgeons, is often not that evident.

"A male surgeon, just like a female surgeon, also feels exhausted after hours of surgery. Doctors battle such exhaustion regardless of their gender," she said.

It is also a common misunderstanding that doctors work under extreme pressure throughout a surgical operation, she said.

"I have never felt that way. Most procedures in a surgery are regular. For me, the mental stress during a surgery is no different to that resulting from seeing patients in an outpatient clinic, or working on a laptop," she said.

Kuang added that when medical students choose a career path now, they focus on the prospects in a particular discipline and a tutor's ranking in an individual field.

"There is no division between men and women when they consider the intensity of work in a department. Some men and women may hesitate in making a decision if a job is costly in terms of time and energy," she said.

Kuang added that the number of women in the medical field is related to the cultural development of a location.

Nurses from impoverished regions once asked her if she really was a doctor, as they had never seen a woman surgeon in their home areas.

Some women doctors said socializing in the workplace, where the rules are set by men and are usually more inclusive to males, may be a factor hindering women's career progress.

However, Kuang and other female surgeons said women in general have a stronger empathy, and are usually more talkative and composed in giving medical explanations to patients.

"Except for patients with extremely complicated diseases who seek the most authoritative medical experts, most patients have common diseases. They need doctors who can care for them, follow up on their treatment plans, discover their main concerns, and answer their questions," Kuang said.

More convenient

In some departments where nearly all the patients are women, female doctors are understandably needed more than males.

Yin Wenjin, 40, a chief breast surgery doctor at Renji Hospital in Shanghai, said she often meets patients who tell her they are looking specifically for women doctors.

"They find it more convenient to talk with female doctors, as many of the questions these patients have are quite private. For example, they may ask what factors in daily life influence the recovery from breast cancer, or increase the chance of a recurrence and metastasis. And these factors involve sexual activity," Yin said.

Many breast cancer patients voice their frustrations with life, Yin said, adding that this prompted her to learn psychology to better communicate with them.

Eight of the 12 doctors in her department are women. Of the doctors in the hospital's obstetrics and gynecology departments, women account for more than 80 percent.

"More women nowadays have ambitious career plans, which give them spiritual satisfaction. Women doctors are no exception. During clinical practice, we aim to prolong patients' survival chances and improve their quality of life, which gives us a sense of career achievement," Yin said.

"The success of female role models also helps guide us in pursuing our goals," she said.

Yin encouraged more women to study medicine and become surgeons.

"As long as a person is passionate about and suitable for the job, he or she should be given an equal right to choose their career, regardless of gender," she said.

Some women doctors have entered fields where male patients significantly outnumber their female counterparts.

Liu Li, 39, an associate chief surgeon of urology at Zhongshan Hospital in Shanghai, said she chose this field as it involves several bodily organs, and various types of medical devices are used. She believes these factors help provide her with a fulfilling career.

The variety of medical procedures in her department, such as open, minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, also influenced her choice. When Liu started work as a resident doctor in 2008, robotic surgery was a rarity across all departments.

"I really enjoy performing surgeries. I feel silky smooth throughout a surgical operation, and for me, performing surgeries is like making an artwork," she said.

Liu's interest in surgery dates to her childhood. Her father is a surgeon, and her mother is a senior dentist.

Liu also enjoys working with her hands. "I used to use fish and chickens to perform anatomy. It was a great experience," she said. "Even when my pet hamster died, I performed anatomy to determine the cause of death."

Adept at kidney cancer surgeries, Liu said she never gets the impression from patients that gender is a factor when they look for the right doctor.

"Many patients said they check a doctor's background, and that they have seen my papers on kidney cancer studies," she said.

"Sometimes I have to tell them the prognosis is not that good, but many patients say they recognize my skills and capabilities and are happy to trust me," she said.

Although Liu never tells patients that she specializes in sexual dysfunction, she finds men who experience erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation are keen to seek her advice. She receives more such patients than her male colleagues.

"Some patients tell me that as I am the only woman in the department, they are keen to hear a female doctor's views," Liu said.

Work knowledge

Wang Yangyun, 37, an associate chief doctor of urology surgery at Shanghai No 5 People's Hospital and director of the hospital's pelvic floor dysfunction and andrology diseases medical center, said male patients have never declined to consult her because of her gender.

"In cases where a male doctor himself has not experienced sexual dysfunction, he relies on his professional knowledge and clinical experience to help a patient," Wang said.

On her first day as a resident in the department, her tutor said that doctors don't examine a patient's gender — only his or her medical condition.

Wang has a relatively tight work schedule. She once received a record 128 patients during a consultation session at a morning outpatients clinic that lasted until 2:30 pm.

The only woman among the 20-plus doctors in the department, Wang holds 58 national patents, the highest number in the department. Some of the patents have been transformed into products that have been used clinically for years.

She said the fact that she is a woman working in such a discipline may make more doctors remember her, but her work does not come with any privileges.

"I don't feel that I have an advantage in promotion or in receiving professional awards due to my gender. In our job, performing professionally is what matters most," Wang said.