What keeps women representation low in radiology?

While women make up for a considerable number in Indian medical education India, the number of women radiologists is minuscule. Most experts believe that diversity among healthcare practitioners is important for representing the increasingly diverse Indian patient population they serve. Diversity promotes broader experience, different perspectives and encourages innovations. It also leads to higher performance and a competitive advantage. Then why does radiology have a long-standing history of having the lowest women representation among all medical specialities? What’s keeping women healthcare professionals from opting such an important medical disciple?

Express Healthcare spoke to different medical professionals to understand their fears, challenges and expectations from radiology practice

Female medical students, in their formative years, need to be exposed to women radiologists in strong leadership roles

The answer lies in making the environment conducive for women to participate more actively

We need mentorship programmes where women can find the right guides to see what can be done to position themselves in the field

A majority of women who are already practising radiology highly recommend the field for women, keeping the humongous opportunities in perspective

As undergraduates, young doctors are often influenced by good teachers/speakers