American Medical Women's Association:

The Vision and Voice of Women in Medicine Since 1915

Medicine, A Woman's Career

The practice of medicine can be very rewarding. Physicians are respected members of the community who can take pride in their ability to contribute to society by helping prevent illness and by treating people when they are sick. Opportunities in medicine are plentiful and there are many different directions a person can take with the same background training. Physicians usually enjoy a great degree of job security and earn a good living.

This guide is presented from a woman's perspective and is intended to help high school and college women who are interested in a career as a physician. Although every experience is unique, there are some shared aspects that we have tried to capture to aid interested women in proceeding in an informed way. We have attempted to answer questions you may have regarding medicine and show you the road that you need to take to be successful in achieving your goal.

Acknowledgements

AMWA and the AMWA Foundation wish to thank Dr. Bernice Cohen Sachs, AMWA Past President, for her generosity which made this special section of our web site possible.
Author: Jackie Nichols, MPH, AMWA National Student Coordinator. Ms. Nichols is a third year medical student at State University of New York, Upstate, Syracuse, New York

Author: A special thank you to Farzanna Haffizulla, M.D., author of Harmony of the Spheres:  Career, Family, and Community, for writing Creating a Work-Life Balance Plan and Negotiating A Flexible Work Arrangement With Your Employer.

 Editors: Michele Bloch, M.D., Leah J. Dickstein, M.D., Roselyn Payne Epps, M.D., Roselyn D. Epps, M.D., Marie Glanz, Tameka Pyles, Lisa Schlitzhas, and Jane van Dis
We gratefully acknowledge Janet Bickel, Associate Vice President, Division of Medical Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges, for her permission to use excerpts from her book, Women in Medicine: Getting In, Growing, and Advancing.