This review is based on a presentation given by Professor Dacre at the RCPE Equal Opportunities in Medicine: Workforce Planning and Flexible Working Hot Topic Symposium held in Edinburgh on 4 October 2011.
Abstract To date, women have been a minority of the medical workforce. Recent data have shown that this situation will soon change, with the numbers of women in medical practice exceeding the numbers of men in the near future. This article outlines the history of women in medicine; it explores some of the data published by the Royal College of Physicians of London report Women and Medicine: The Future,1 and other recent reports to highlight some key issues, in order to support sensible and appropriate policy decisions in relation to the changing demographic of the medical workforce.
Declaration of Interests Professor Dacre is the Chair of the RCP Women and Medicine Research Steering Group.
