Gender in medicine

After having practiced medicine for 56 years, I feel Dr. Michael Attas’ March 2 guest column, “Gender and the societal contract in medicine,” should be required reading for every medical school admissions board.

The problem originated with the 1972 Title IX, renamed the Equal Opportunity in Education Act. That prompted a frantic scramble to equalize male and female numbers in all education and sports. The fact that the majority of female medical school graduates did not enter or remain in patient care was a well-kept secret.

Now we are paying the price, especially in the surgical specialities that females do not like to enter.

Building more medical schools is not the answer. There must be some relief from Title IX. Increasing the percentage of male graduates is the answer.

Dr. Howard L. Smith

Marlin

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Dr. Michael Attas’ column on gender and medicine is an interesting comment on the generation gap. His message is that female physicians, as a group, do not contribute as equally as men in the practice of medicine beyond a decade past residence because of “childbearing realities.”

My wife is a full-time practicing physician who is 11 years past residency. She gave birth to four children in the span of five years and worked full time throughout each pregnancy.

I have been Mr. Mom and have endured endless questions as to whether I cook or clean, which has amused me over the years.

So I have an idea why women leave the field: because no one needs reminding that in our lifetime women were limited to secretarial work and education jobs. The slamming of the pots was a sign of what Attas calls “radical individualism” but is more appropriately called equal opportunity for women.

The societal contract inherited from a generation that produced macho swashbuckling from John Wayne and Archie Bunker has perpetuated a myth based on gender roles more suited to Neanderthals.

Pete Micus

Lorena

Farewell from judge

To quote 2 Timothy 4:7:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

I kept the faith in our American system of democracy. I kept the faith in our United States and Texas constitutions.

I lost the race but will keep the many friends we have made throughout the district during the last six years.

I want to thank my wife, Cheryl, the rest of my family, friends and supporters for all the work that they have done on my behalf during my recent campaign to be re-elected as a judge on the 10th Court of Appeals.

I wish Judge Al Scoggins the best of luck.

Justice Felipe Reyna

10th Court of Appeals

Better for patients?

Why is it that otherwise sane people, like schoolteachers — who hate government intervention into their profession with “No Child Left Behind” mandatory testing — think that “No Patient Left Behind” government intervention would be any better for patients?

Dr. Brett Bolte

Waco