Sex and Medicine: Gender, Power and Authority in the Medical Profession

Professional medicine has often been seen as a field that discriminates against women as doctors and patients. Yet women are entering medicine in increasing numbers. This book explores the position of women in the medical profession in Australia and the UK, asking the key question ‘Do women doctors make a difference?’ Based on an extensive survey of general practitioners and specialists, the book evokes the culture of contemporary medicine by describing the experiences of doctors themselves, often in their own words. Pringle employs a distinctive theoretical approach, but writes accessibly and with insight about a profession that is slowly being transformed. She notes the success of women in entering medicine and describes the ways in which they have challenged medical authority and practice. This is an original and important work that contains new visions for medical practice.