(Chapter 12 part 2) Female Medical Professionals

          In my own personal experience, I have seen a few woman occupying professional jobs, and being a possibly-bias woman, actually prefer them to men.  My general practitioner is a woman, and I feel much more comfortable talking to her than any other male doctor I have seen, about female only issues and gender non-related issues.  She is one of the smartest doctors I have ever met, and if anything is more qualified for her job than any comparative males.  I don't like going to see anyone else for common medical issues, and actually prefer to wait longer for an appointment with her, than see any other doctor sooner.  She knows that I want to become a doctor, and says that I'll do great.  I've noticed she even tends to go more into depth explaining things to me than she might with other patients because of my interest.  She's always been extremely supportive and caring, and I don't know what I would do without her.
          My current dentist is also female, and I have actually developed a preference for female dentists because woman generally have smaller hands than men.  I quite bluntly feel it isn't as intrusive having her smaller hands digging around in my mouth as opposed to some male dentists I have seen.  Another female medical professional in my life is my foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon.  I had a different ankle surgeon before her, but didn't trust him enough to go back, and it wasn't based on the fact that he was male.  She just seemed much better qualified.  I learned after seeing her a few times that she also heads the Women's Orthopaedic Center which is one of the only orthopaedic programs in the nation dedicated solely to women.  This of course made me like her even more.  She isn't just changing this typically male profession by "simply" being a female working in the field, but she has taken it even farther by creating a women's orthopaedic specialty in evaluations, treatments, and research that didn't exist before.  Having always been interested in the medical professions, these woman have all reinforced my interest in the field, and have become role models for me.  I have wanted to become a pediatrician since I have been twelve-years-old, but my foot and ankle surgeon has even inspired me to look into orthopedics as an interest.  I'll never forget that the last thing she said to me, after having gotten to know me pretty well, was that I will make a great doctor one day.  These woman have all had a substantial effect on me both medically and personally.  Also, just looking around my chemistry and biology classes at the male-to-female ratio, I know that I am not the only young woman interested in these typically male-dominated science professions.  Hopefully, we will soon see even more equality in these professions.

(just not this way)