Why is it important for highly qualified women like Dr. McManus to achieve leadership positions in medicine 2. Once in a position of leadership, especially in a field that is dominated by males, should women over- look sexist behavio

Diversity: Importance of Women Representation

When Women do Lead: Gender Bias 2013 Style Carol P. Harvey Suffolk University Assumption College, Professor Emerita What challenges do women who make it through the glass ceiling face today and are these worth the price they pay to get there? While it is easy to assume that previous generations of women have broken down the barriers, and that females are now accepted as equals judged only on their competence, the experiences of Dr. Barbara McManus illustrates that gender bias and sexism are alive and well for women in leadership positions. Dr. McManus had an Ivy League education, was a highly published author, held a full professorship at a major university, and after twenty years of service became the chief of anesthesia in 2000 at a world-class teaching hospital in a major U.S. city. Widowed at a young age, she also raised three children alone. Her achievements defied the statistics for women in medicine. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the number of female physicians is steadily increasing with 30.4% of physicians now being female. However, women tend to choose specialties like pediatrics (58%), and obstetrics and gynecology (48%) and are rarer in specialties like surgery (9.9%) and anesthesiology (22%) with very few female physicians serving in leadership roles heading major clinical departments like Dr. McManus (2010). In 2001 Dr. Thomas Crowley was appointed as Chief of Surgery and Dr. Mc Manus’ problems began. Crowley was an excellent surgeon but had a reputation for being sexist, fond of making derogatory comments about female doctors’ abilities and was known to be uncomfortable working with strong women. He said that he preferred to hire residents and male doctors who were light skinned, made comments about the breasts of foreign women and said that he felt that women should not be surgeons. When a female surgeon was on maternity leave, Dr. Crowley took away her secretarial support and operating room locker, and then refused to reinstate these when she returned. Dr. McManus experienced comparable sexist treatment. Dr. Crowley slammed doors in her face, ignored her in staff meetings and even replied to male colleagues instead of to her when she spoke. When she was on a sabbatical leave in 2007, Crowley attempted to have Dr. McManus fired and when that failed, he tried to demote her. Although Dr. McManus repeatedly complained to the CEO of the hospital, Daniel Harris, about this sexist behavior and the differences between the way that Dr. Crowley treated male and female physicians, Harris dismissed her complaints, telling her that she had “created a culture Based on the excerpt above,

Please answer each question in 3-5 sentences

1. Why is it important for highly qualified women like Dr. McManus to achieve leadership positions in medicine

2. Once in a position of leadership, especially in a field that is dominated by males, should women over- look sexist behaviors or should they complain to higher management? Why or why not?

3. List three options that Dr. McManus could consider at this point. What are the pros and cons of each option?

4. What does this case suggest about how women can help themselves?

5. Evaluate the way that the CEO handled Dr. McManus’ complaints.

6. How can we incorporate what we’ve learned into our everyday lives?

7. How would you advise someone who feels uncomfortable in their workplace?