Wollongong’s Dr Elizabeth Magassy has welcomed news that female GPs outnumber their male colleagues for the first time in Australia.
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Women now outflank men in general practice according to Medical Board of Australia data, with 973 more registered female GPs than males as of March 2017 (19,965 women versus 18,992 men).
‘’It’s nice to see people are going into medicine based on merit and not excluded on the basis of gender or anything else,’’ Dr Magassy said.
The GP of 35 years spent four years in the hospital system prior to entering general practice – and she said it was a perfect fit for many women.
‘’It’s much more user friendly,’’ she said. ‘’In our practice there are seven male and 10 female GPs, and a lot of the women are working part-time because they have young families, because they can job share and can cover for each other if necessary.’’
The more equitable gender split is also welcomed by many female patients. ‘’A lot of women choose to see a female doctor for more intimate problems, although they’re just as happy to see a male GP for less personal issues,’’ Dr Magassy said.
And while allegations of sexual harassment and bullying have plagued some male-dominated areas of medicine, the team approach to general practice is another plus for women: ‘’There’s a lot of peer support.’’
Dr Magassy, from Illawarra Family Medical Centre in Wollongong, said as well as being flexible, the role of a GP was also wide-ranging. Two days were never the same, while many GPs were also able to explore their particular interests with a sub-speciality.
‘’For instance I’ve done a diploma in obstetrics and that was my sub specialty from the mid 80’s to the mid ‘90s, during which time I delivered around 1000 babies,’’ she said, ‘’… before I decided I wanted to sleep at night!’’
Many female – and male – GPs were also attracted to the continuity of care possible in a general practice.
‘’Personally, I’m now looking after the children of children I have delivered and that continuity is lovely,’’ Dr Magassy said.
‘’It can sometimes be difficult – for instance when you have to give someone you’ve seen for years a catastrophic diagnosis of breast cancer. Again though, you get to support them through that.’’
During Family Doctor Week, Australians are being encouraged to maintain a close co-operative relationship with their GP.
‘’Around 80 per cent of patients have a usual GP, which is the best way to manage your health throughout life,’’ Australian Medical Association president Dr Michael Gannon said.
‘’They are the only health professionals trained to diagnose undifferentiated conditions and provide holistic care from the cradle to the grave.’’