What is National Women Physicians Day?
On February 3rd, we commemorate National Women Physicians Day, honoring the path that female doctors have paved since 1849.
This day marks Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's birthday, the first woman to obtain a medical degree in the United States in 1849. Dr. Blackwell was the pioneer of a movement that helped women obtain and equality in the field of medicine.
Elizabeth Blackwell's courage and the achievements of female physicians around the world are lauded. At the same time, the day is trying to bring changes to the workplace for the increasing number of women physicians entering the field of medicine.
Although the number of female doctors has gradually increased in the last two decades, 2016 estimates show that 35% of physicians are women. According to a JAMA Internal Medicine report last year, female doctors make on average 8% less than their male counterparts. That disparity, along with nearly a third of female physicians reporting sexual assault in the workplace and a vast majority of women physicians reporting gender discrimination in the workplace, is discouraging. There is obviously more work to be done.
The strides made by generations of women physicians are acknowledged on National Women Physicians Day. The observance also acknowledges that we must strike a balance between women's professional growth and supporting a family. Join National Women Physicians Day in honoring these achievements and assisting women physicians as colleagues, acquaintances, family, and doctors.
