Opinion: When surgery becomes ‘women’s work’: the devaluation of gynecologic specialties
For much of the 20th century, the work of medicine in the U.S. was performed by predominantly male physicians. As women began entering medical schools in larger numbers during the 1970s, some specialties were welcoming to women, others weren’t.
Surgical specialties were particularly resistant to the inclusion of women, with the exception of obstetrics and gynecology. After decades of increasing percentages of women entering gynecology, the field became the first majority women surgical specialty in 2012. This should have been embraced as evidence of the legitimate role for women in surgery. Instead, it led to a devaluation of gynecology as a specialty.
