Modern Medical Mentoring - Essay Example

The Women Physicians Congress reported men working for some 57 hours on average compared to 49 hours for women physicians, indicating women physicians spent time with their families (DeLaat, 2007). In addition, women physicians earn less than their male counterparts earn and are concentrated in less lucrative specialties, work fewer hours, and their academic ranks are not as advanced as they are for men. The summit also believed that mentoring elements and relationships in mentoring are starkly different for both genders, particularly as it is more difficult for women to approach mentors (DeLaat, 2007).    Since women are rare in several elite fields in medicine, which reduces their chances of getting mentorship or sponsorship in these sub-fields, women are rarely inducted into these fields. Most female medical students have wondered whether there are women in some fields of medicine for them to contact.    This will encourage mentors to consider serious mentorship while allowing the professional time to support the programs (DeLaat, 2007).  From this case study, it is clear that gender has a major role to play when it comes to the expectations of female students with regards to mentoring, while also influencing their career planning. Optimal relationships in sponsorship and mentoring are relational, while relational mentorship is more crucial compared to gender concordance (Humphrey, 2010). In addition, gender-based power dynamics have a greater influence on the thinking of students concerning mentoring. Stereotypes and assumptions based on gender also have a significant effect on sponsorship and mentoring relationships. Successful relationships in mentoring can only occur when the mentors in the faculty, whether female or male, attempt to take the time required to know the students on a personal level, as well as to know the students from a career point of view. From the case study, it seems that the female medical students and physicians have gender expectations that they will relate better to female mentors, who will also be more supportive compared to male mentors. This could be because male mentors are more content focused, direct, and less comfortable when discussing with female students on work-life balance (Humphrey, 2010).   From the case study, it also seems that those attending the seminar believe that the gender of the mentee will affect the advice that they are given with regard to choices of career. The students may also wish to go beyond stereotypes of gender when interacting with the mentors (Humphrey, 2010). A perception exists where the gender of female students may potentially hinder their sponsorship opportunities and networking, as well as the perception that mentors of the female gender are not in a position to provide the access female students require to vital networks. However, while the case study does not provide enough evidence of whether this is the case, it is clear that there is a need for more female mentors with experience, as well as for women holding powerful positions in medicine, particularly in fields that are dominated by women. While the case study was mainly focused on female students in medical school, the mentee and the mentor would greatly benefit from reflection on how gender affects relationships in mentoring, rather than dealing with assumptions. Physicians must take time to know one another and the values that lead to strong sponsorship and mentoring relationships (Humphrey, 2010).    Most female medical students have to put up with people assuming that they are studying to be nurses (Wear, 2012). In addition, most patients will assume that female medical students are nurses. It often comes as a surprise to people when they learn that medical students are studying for a career in medicine, rather than to be Registered Nurses. It has been noted that there has been a significant increase in the number of female medical students to 48.5% from 7.7% between 1964 and 2005 (Bickel, 2011). However, the majority of female medical students continue to come up against subtle discrimination and gender stereotypes. These stereotypes also have a significant effect on academic performance. When female students are continuously led to believe that they are less equipped to succeed in math and science compared to male students, they end up being worse performers in science and math. This does not happen when women are not exposed to this gender-based concept and notion. This highlights the stereotype threat that involves stereotyped groups “choking” when they find themselves in situations that put their stereotypes to the test (Wear, 2012). Read More