50 years of pediatrics: What has changed for female pediatricians?
In the last 50 years, the field of pediatrics has vastly changed, particularly for female physicians.
For starters, the number of female pediatricians has rapidly grown over the last few decades. In 1970, 21% of pediatricians were women, compared with 59% in 2013, according to the American Medical Association physician characteristics and distribution data 2015 edition. The overall pediatric workforce also has increased: A total of 18,332 pediatricians were practicing in 1970, and 84,559 pediatricians were in practice in 2013.
Along with numbers, the field of pediatrics has seen significant changes in practice size, technology, clinical responsibilities, and record keeping, to name a few. However, longtime pediatricians say there are also many ways that the specialty has stayed the same.
Dr. Bennett’s story
When Jean L. Bennett, MD, opened her solo pediatric practice in 1963, she initially had no nurses or team of assistants to help carry out clinical duties. With one receptionist answering phones and Dr. Bennett in the exam room, the Clearwater, Fla., practice opened for business. There was no shortage of patients, Dr. Bennett recalls.
“There was no such thing as neonatology. As a pediatrician, one took care of well and sick newborns and of course, saw a variety of infectious diseases in the office,” Dr. Bennett said in an interview. “We started our own IVs, we did our own lumbar punctures, we did subdural taps, we did exchange transfusions. We did all of those ourselves.”
Dr. Bennett was no stranger to being the lone woman on the job. She was the first woman to graduate from the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, the first woman to serve as chief of staff at Morton F. Plant Hospital in Clearwater, and the first woman to chair the hospital’s department of pediatrics. Despite being the first in many cases, Dr. Bennett does not remember facing discrimination from colleagues or community members, nor experiencing prejudice against her gender as a medical student or young resident
“My experience was different, of course, than other people graduating at that time, but I can truly say that I always felt the playing field was level,” Dr. Bennett said. “Nobody gave me anything for being a woman, and nobody took anything away.”
Compared with concerns that physicians have today, such as electronic medical records and increasing regulations, Dr. Bennett remembers a relatively worry-free career. She recalls some concern over the medical malpractice crisis in the 1970s and 1980s, but said the majority of her tenure was spent with a clear mind and positive attitude.
“In the 60s, I was naive enough not to worry a whole lot,” she said. “I was in the process of getting my practice started, and I was raising in a family at the same time. I would struggle to tell you the things I spent time worrying about. I went to work every day with a joyful attitude, grateful that I was in a community where I could serve.”
Two of the most significant changes Dr. Bennett witnessed during her career were the development of pediatric subspecialists and the establishment of children’s hospitals. Both markedly altered the field of pediatrics and the way in which children were cared for, she said.
“Early in medicine, children were thought of as the stepchildren of medicine, if you will,” she said. “All the attention research-wise and provision-wise was for adults. During my tenure, I saw that attitude change. The attitude that children were just little adults certainly changed, and the development of specialty hospitals for children, that was a real plus.”
Dr. Bennett spent 27 years in solo practice before hiring additional doctors at what is now Myrtle Avenue Pediatrics, a group practice in Clearwater. She retired in 2003 after a career spanning 40 years. The best advice she would offer young pediatricians is to treat their staff well, especially the front office staff who answer phones and make appointments. Pay them well, train them, and treat them right in order to retain loyal employees and reduce turnover.
In addition, Dr. Bennett stresses that young women who want to be pediatricians should not focus on their gender. “I would remind them that they are physicians who happen to be women,” and they should not think of themselves as female physicians, she said. “Personally I believe becoming a physician is a calling, and I don’t think it is gender oriented. I think males and females can have that calling. I see no difference.”
