…..Female doctors encounter many unique challenges, and at times even unfair treatment, while in practice. Women find themselves experiencing various forms of sexism, sexual harassment, social stereotyping, and may even have a ceiling placed above them, intended to limit their advancement. However, the biggest detriment to women’s success in medicine is the ever-present risk of burnout due to a high-stress environment that focuses on regulation, compliance, and finances.
Below are five good tips intended to help women thrive in their chosen medical careers:
- Look For Colleagues Who Accept You: In any place of work, there will always be a few good people who are positive members of the workforce who aim to empower their colleagues and give honest, but fair, feedback. Find these people and be among them – be one of them. After all, no woman is an island.
- Define Who You Are: It seems that having people ordering you around is just par for the course for a woman. You may be forced into certain directions and at times even bullied in the workplace. Unsolicited advice will be ever-present. Take the good advice, throw out the bad – and stand for what you believe in. Don’t let anybody tell you what to do. Define your ambitions and work towards them – all while staying true to yourself.
- Be Yourself Always – Even If Others Think You Are Over-Emotional: If you have an honest opinion that you believe you can back up – then voice it out. Do not mind the other voices in the room that will cast judgement – just do you! Say what you feel, back up what you say with facts – and if proven wrong, accept it and move on. But if you are right, can you imagine how tragic it would have been had you stayed silent?
- Rejection Is Part Of The Game: It can be disheartening to hear the word “no” – especially in the form of rejected proposals and grants. But just because you were rejected, that doesn’t make you bad at what you do. Everybody gets rejected at some point in their career. Everytime you are rejected, learn from it – and work harder and harder until you finally hear a resounding “yes”.
- Being Tired Is Okay – Quitting Is Not: Women work harder to get the attention that a male colleague does. You have to control your emotions better in order to avoid being judged. You must also have less mistakes, as these can be magnified. This can be incredibly tiring – and many fall out of the industry, burnt out by the daily toxicity. Don’t give up – and keep at it. It’s perfectly acceptable to be tired as long as you don’t let it get to you. Take a break when you need to. Once you’ve recovered, head back into the fray.
…..The good news is – TukkoMed is here to shed your stress and lend the hand you need to succeed. Contact us today and let us know how we can be there for you!