Women doctors face glass ceiling at academic pinnacle of profession

Published on 25/09/2007 00:05

FEMALE doctors in the UK face a glass ceiling in the clinical academic sector, even though more are entering the medical profession, a study shows.

Research published in the Journal of Medical Education suggests that women suffer discrimination and are under- represented, particularly at the most senior levels.

It looked at clinical academics - researchers who are also medical professionals - at all 32 medical schools in the UK during 2004 and 2005.

The study showed women made up a relatively small percentage of the clinical academic workforce, at just 21 per cent, even though more women than men are entering medicine and they now form over 60 per cent of the medical student body.

Only one in ten medical clinical professors was found to be female. During 2004-5 a total of 207 men became professors - but only six women.

The researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Bristol and the Medical Schools Council say some workforce practices may be detrimental to women's clinical academic careers.