The Life of a Female Surgeon - Dr. Kinna Patel Reflects on Navigating Gender Biases in the Workplace
“I was the only female in my program when I joined my surgical residency, including all of the attendings/staff. It was a “boy’s club” in every sense of the way. While all of my male co-residents got addressed as “Doctor,” I was more often than not addressed as “sweetie” or “hon.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Kinna Patel, is Foot and Ankle Surgeon practicing in Georgia, with a passion for women empowerment. In this relatable and thought-provoking piece, Kinna reflects on her journey as a female surgeon, including being the only woman in her residency, building relationships with male & female patients, and how she navigated gender biases throughout her career. A must read for women - enjoy her story!
I was the only female in my program when I joined my surgical residency, including all of the attendings/staff. It was a “boy’s club” in every sense of the way. While all of my male co-residents got addressed as “Doctor,” I was more often than not addressed as “sweetie” or “hon.” Being the only female resident in my program definitely had some perks: none of my attendings ever kicked me out of a surgical case if I got a question wrongwhich happened to my male counterparts all of the time, I was always given vacation priority, and everyone took it easy on me. However, the variances in respect were palpable. Not only did patients always assume I was the medical assistant, so did nurses and other staff members at the hospital.
I specifically remember an incident that continues to haunt me. I was placing orders for a patient on a night when I was on callthe first month of my first year of residency, and I went up to the nursing station and said, “Excuse me, I need to place orders for patient in room XXX.” Both of the nurses raised their hand up and told me to wait, while they were checking out pictures on their iphone. My male co-resident came up to the nursing station a few minutes later, and the nurses immediately, in an overly sweet tone, looked up at him and asked him if he needed anything, as I stood and waited! There were countless other incidents like this during residency, including having to go to Hooters for team lunches, listening to vulgar, derogatory operating room talk, being excluded from bonding experiences, etc. These incidents made me realize the battle I was about to embark on being a female in the medical world.
Some of these issues have definitely carried into my practicing career. I’ve been practicing for over 9 years now, and there are still so many times where I am mistaken for an assistant or nurse, even though I always make sure to wear my long, white coat to separate myself from my staff, while my male assistants have often been presumed as the Physician, no white coat required. It’s not that I mind being mistaken for a nurse/assistant, it’s the underlying presumption/tone that as a female I couldn’t be the physician. One time, I walked into a hospital room to see a consult, and the patient refused my service and requested a male physician instead. There are countless times I walk into patient rooms with patients stunned, telling me I look like a high schooler and questioning my schooling and years of practice. Some patients can’t bring themselves to call me “Dr. Patel” and use my first name instead. Many of my surgical patients to this day ask me if they are the first patient I am operating on in “real life.” The list could go on and on. I ironically find comfort in knowing that there is not a single female physician that I know that hasn’t been a victim of one of these biases.
With that being said, as a female you learn to navigate around these biases and do your best to educate patients and break the stereotypes. There’s always a fine line between being too soft and being taken advantage of verses being too bossy/outspoken and perceived with attitude. A lot of this comes with practice over time to find the right balance that works for you. The city you choose to live in also plays a factor in this; big, young cities are more likely to have a patient population that’s used to the concept of young and female physicians, as opposed to cities with an older population. For me, I always try to calmly and respectfully address any stereotype that a patient or staff may have, and I’m happy to report that most of the time the outcome is positive. I pride myself in customer satisfaction, and as physicians, it is fifty percent of the job we perform, if not more! The more you work at hospitals, operating rooms, etc. the more your reputation will speak volumes on your behalf. People will begin to recognize the work you do and you will start to earn the respect you worked so hard to achieve, the same respect our male counterparts are automatically given.
As a female physician and surgeon, I find that I have the ability to form deep bonds with both male and female patients that I find is often difficult for male physicians to achieve. I can relate to topics of pedicures, surgical recovery fears of having to stay off your feet while having a job and/or household to run, constantly putting the needs of your spouse/children first and letting your own health suffer as a consequence, and the love for fashionable shoes. I love giving my personal experience on these topics, especially pedicure safety and how I bring my own instruments and avoid toxic nail polishes/acrylics. I always show patients the types of shoes I wear and what criteria I use to pick these shoes.
I love my job and it reflects in the work I do. With each incoming class, we continue to see more and more females enrolled in surgical specialties, helping break the bias. I have faith that one day the playing field will be leveled, in terms of pay and respect that woman receive in this industry!