Surgery, for many reasons is certainly not a popular choice among female doctors, both in UK and globally. The same trends were apparent in the junior surgical training grades. The higher proportions of females in junior surgical training grades offer some hope that the inequalities may be ironed out in the future, but there is still a long way to go. Recognizing this serious issue, the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1999 announced realistic targets to increase the proportion of women in surgery. The Royal College of Surgeons of England together with the other colleges of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ireland has introduced numerous measures to tackle this issue.
Most medical students look up to role models early in their clinical years.
Such personalities and the clinical experiences they encounter will influence their career choices to the better or worse. Organizations such as WIST have played a key role in providing local representatives who offer advice and support to junior surgeons and positively influence their choices. Sri Lanka also faces a significant shortage of female surgeons. The days where surgeons formed a male dominated elite club should be a thing of the past. Sri Lanka set an example when it produced the first female Prime Minister in the world.