title: Where nontradition is the norm: are sex and age determinants of practicing primary care specialties?
abstract: We studied the gender, age at graduation, and specialty of 2329 graduates of The Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) to determine if women and older graduates of a historically female institution tend to practice primary care specialties. Four of the primary care specialties studied, obstetrics and gynecology, family practice, general internal medicine, and pediatrics, are actively engaged in promoting women's health. MCP graduates were selected for study because of the institution's commitment to women's health and its association with admitting qualified, nontraditional students whose gender and age may have inhibited acceptance elsewhere. Seventy-two percent (1672) of the 1970-1992 graduates responded to an alumnae/i questionnaire. Chi-square tests revealed that female graduates were more likely to practice family practice, pediatrics, and obstetrics-gynecology but not more likely to practice general internal medicine. There was no relationship between age and practicing any of the four specialties. As more females graduate from U.S. medical schools, it is likely that they will retain their tendency to practice primary care specialties. These specialties offer women the opportunity to practice various aspects of comprehensive, lifelong women's healthcare. We should not expect older graduates schooled in environments favorable to women's health and careers to practice primary care medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Texas, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: L Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gracely
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013038:Specialization; D016387:Women's Health