women in dentistry

[UBTom]

In defense of my classmate...

When working at the dental school clinic we are faced with issues of patient management-- How to get the necessary treatment done as efficiently and quickly as possible, taking into consideration a patient's condition, needs and preferences.

We might not approve of a child patient's brattiness, but if neither side is willing to bend, we are at an impasse and NOTHING will get done. The brat (and her parents) wastes three hours and your instructor gives you an "F" for patient management.

Griffin04 did what every dentist would do-- Follow the path of least resistance to get the necessary treatment done. No crime there as far as I'm concerned..

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[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

That last post was made with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Isn't that what the little winker guy means? Of course, she did the right thing.

 

[sxr71]

Originally posted by Dr.SpongeBobDDS
So you think accomodating the blatant sexual discrimination of this eight-year old was the right thing to do? She is being taught that it is acceptable and appropriate to make judgements about others based solely on gender. This is the reason that sexual bias continues to exist; by allowing it be perpetuated you are as guilty of the crime as those who commit it outright.






Or... maybe not.

I realize your post is in jest and so this doesn't go against your views but adds to them.

I think it makes good business sense to have both a male and female practitioner at a group practice. I think it would be nice to have a receptionist that very subtly informs patients that they have the choice to see either a male or female practitioner, because some people are a lot more comfortable with a person of a particular gender. In a business you give the customer what they want.

 

[sxr71]

Originally posted by Kung Foo
Does everyone here live in a cave? Seriously, it consistantly amazes me how many people are able to make it to this point in their education and presumably personal development while clinging to these ridiculous stereotypes.

(1) Gender differences exist. I applaud those posters who took a data-based approach to this argument. Men and women in general have different strengths to offer the profession. Strong interpersonal skills, which most women spend their entire lives developing, are essential to communication with patients, staff and other professionals. Practice management data shows that the most successful dentists are not those persons who graduated with the highest GPA or who can cut a perfect prep, but rather those who relate best to their patients (thus increasing patient referrals, retention etc). Any man or woman can be good at this - it's simply a fact that women get more opportunity to practice throughout their respective lifetimes

(2) No one complains about a male dentist who drops his practice to 2 days a week when he is 50 so that he can play more golf (or whatever hobby). This sort of thing is so deeply ingrained in the cuture of dentistry, that no one thinks to initiate a study or even to suggest that these dentists stay in practice longer on a full-time basis to bridge the dental shortage. People would think this an absurd suggestion.

(3) Someone asked for personal anecdotes, so here goes. I am a female in the midst of a DDS/PhD program. I have no intention of ever practicing full time. No one bats an eyelash at this, even though my research is not directly clinically applicable - the kind of science that is assigned little value among general dentists and dental students. When I graduate in a few years, I plan to practice part time and research full time. Back to the point, though. My professional degree will allow me to hire both a housekeeper and a nanny. Fantastic opportunity. (hate dishes and diapers)

(4) That said, if a professional female drops out of clinical practice for a few years, the result will be more emotionally balanced, intelligent children to drive the future population. Not a bad deal. I agree with one of the few intelligent posts which suggested that the profession will change in response to the changing practicioner. Much of the negativity coming from the ADA regarding females is a result of that organization still being driven by 'old school' dentists who think it's acceptable to be completely gender-biased. As more broad-minded progressive dentists reach the upper tiers of leadership, the thinking, statements and articles coming from that organization will be modulated to better reflect a more flexible and hopefully open-minded profession.

I agree with your post, and I'd like to add that as a guy I chose this profession over medicine because I want the option to cut back my hours to spend time with my family as well. I want to enjoy those years when they are still babies because that's when they become close to you. When I was a baby, I didn't really see my dad much because he was a medical resident. If I have the ability to do things differently I will and I have by choosing dentistry.

It's not only the mothers who want to stay close to their children but the fathers do too, and it's just that the way society is structured we can't do so. However, I will not say that men and women are exactly the same as there are also significant diffferences. I will admit that while it is important that children be close to their fathers, it is imperative that they stay close to their mothers. So the level of importance is different and I have no argument against that, however I am happy to see companies offering paternity leave these days.


It's true that men or women alike we choose this profession to have more time with our families or with our hobbies. The mindset of the typical dentist is quite different from that of the typical physician in that every dentist I've met has several hobbies that they are passionate about, while most of the physicians I have met have perhaps one or two hobbies that they really don't have much time for. I realize that this is a generalization, but it cannot be denied that the "culture" of these two groups is completely different. There are both men and women who fall into these cultural groups and they should choose the profession that offers what they want.

As for your situation, I am guessing that you are more of the "physician type" driven more heavily by your career interests than by other interests. This is just a guess so I could be wrong, and there is nothing wrong with someone who sees their research or their work as their passion.

 

[succedaneous32]

It is okay if women work 3 days a week! We would get more done in three days than the men would in five!!

 

[xc1999]

I am a female in dental school right now. I think if I do have a family, I would want it with the GUY that's the homemaker....I know there's not many, but I'm sure there's some out there...hehehe

 

[toothache]

xc1999,
why aren't there more ladies like you .