All acknowledged that they had heard of such difficulties in other programs or parts of the country and had based their decision on where to train because of the absence of such biases in our program and region of the country. Several felt that it is an advantage in the current medical marketplace to be a woman in surgery, noting that group practices want to make sure there is at least one woman in the group to remain competitive with other groups. In the final chapter, the author examines conflicts faced by women surgeons between professional and personal lives. Although these concerns may have been a distinguishing issue 15 years ago, as a program director, I currently find that male residents are just as concerned about compromises that a career in surgery may place on family commitments. I do not mean to negate the validity of the observations made by the author in her interesting study.
Anthropological research represents observations filtered through the eyes of the beholder.
Beholder characteristics must invariably influence the interpretation of observed behaviors. The author may also have been studying an evolutionary phase in the integration of women into a profession previously dominated by men. In some areas of the country, that integration has been achieved to a greater degree than in others. Though much of this book did not resonate with my experience and perspective on women in surgery, I found it to be provocative and interesting. All rights reserved.