[Two-thirds of doctors are female, but ever still behind]

Abstract

At present, two-thirds of the medical students in The Netherlands are women. However, the problems of combining a medical education with the responsibilities of motherhood, and the inaccessibility of medical top positions for women, are as serious as they were ten years ago at the 65th anniversary of the Dutch Association of Medical Women (VNVA). There is a serious need for medical education to become more 'woman-friendly'--and 'man-friendly' for that matter. For healthcare workers, it should be feasible to combine having children with a career. In addition, research into gender-specific health differences should be facilitated. Women, in particular, should take their responsibility in this respect, and be aware of the achievements of their pioneering predecessors. Last but not least: the Dutch Journal of Medicine needs to adapt. It needs to address a new audience, in which the male readers aged 50 and over have been largely replaced by female physicians in their thirties with children.