DEMOGRAPHICS
The report found that overall membership
increased by 35% from 27,269 in 2000 to
36,721 in 2018. The number of women has
doubled over the past 19 years, while the
number of men only increased by 9% over
the same period.
In fact, within some age groups, women
have already surpassed their male colleagues
in numbers. In both the 30-34 and 35-39
age-groups, women account for 55% of the
membership.
The report also drilled down into the
change within specialties. In 2000, women
represented 43% of all family physi-
cians in Ontario. They now make up
54% of the family physicians within
the membership. A similar trend ap-
"This
pears among pediatricians.
transformation
Surgical specialties remain largely
male-dominated, though the number
has been a
and proportion of women has been
long time in
increasing steadily year over year.
the making”
Within anesthesiology, the propor-
tion of women has risen 93% over
time. Orthopedic, plastic, and surgi-
cal other than obstetrics and gynecol-
ogy, have more than doubled their numbers
of women surgeons, yet the proportions of
women remain low at 11%, 28%, and 20%
respectively.
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) is
the one exception. The number of male OB-
GYNs has decreased by 28% while women
have increased their numbers by 129%.
Because of the small numbers, the College
researchers did not break out the diagnostic
specialties into specific specialties. Within all
diagnostic specialties, the number of women
has increased by 93% while the number of
men increased modestly by 18%. Women,
however, still only represent about a third
24
DIALOGUE ISSUE 1, 2019
(35%) of all diagnostic specialists.
“This transformation has been a long time
in the making,” said Dr. Wendy Levinson,
past chair of medicine at the University of
Toronto. “I remember when I was in medi-
cal training in the late 1970s, we were just
beginning to see significant numbers of
women in the classroom. But it has been
male dominated for a big part of my career,
and as I rose into leadership roles, I was
often the only woman in the room.”
In 2004, Dr. Levinson wrote an article
titled “When Most Doctors are Women:
What Lies Ahead?” in the Annals of Internal
Medicine. The article predicted the impact
that a stronger female presence within the
medical profession would have on multiple
levels of the system.
Today, she believes that a number of the
predictions put forward in that article have
been realized, including the emphasis of
a patient-centred care dynamic and the
strengthening of team relationships in the
delivery of care.
The article also anticipated a greater
realization, among physicians of both sexes,
of the importance of achieving a work life
balance. “When you see this kind of demo-
graphic shift, there are consequences. And
in terms of the work life balance, I believe
that it is not just good for women, but good
for everyone,” Dr. Levinson told Dialogue.
“Once you have a profession where mater-
nity leave is possible, you begin to see more
men take paternity leave. This includes a
recognition towards the need for greater
flexibility so that if someone needs to step
away from their practice, then they can get
coverage. I think the presence of women in
medicine has definitely forged important
pathways,” she said.
MD