Article on women and gender in Pakistani medical schools

By Jacque Fetrow

This article on women in Pakistani medical schools was shared with me by a colleague:  Are Pakistan’s female medical students to be doctors or wives?

The article states that the majority of students in Pakistani medical schools are female, although most doctors are male.  The article considers the reasons that the female medical students are not ultimately pursuing careers in medicine.  The reason that is discussed most is that the Pakistani culture focuses on family–the culture is not friendly to women who pursue careers and jobs outside of the family.

Serious issues emerge because women attend medical school, but do not practice medicine.  Many areas of Pakistan do not have enough doctors. The author of the article points out that, if more of the women trained in medical schools actually pursued careers in medicine, then the shortage of doctors would not be as large.  The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council is introducing a quota for men and women admitted to medical school, so that more men will attend medical school and become doctors.

The article doesn’t much explore other reasons that women might not choose to serve as doctors, even though they have been trained to do so.  Clearly the cultural expectation that a woman’s primary focus should be the family is a major reason.  The article also touches on the possibility that women might pursue medical degrees so that they are more “marriageable”.  I would wonder if women who become doctors are actively discriminated against in the profession.  Or, are their other barriers to their pursuit of a career in medicine following completion of medical school?