Where nontradition is the norm: Are sex and age determinants of practicingprimary care specialties?

We studied the gender, age at graduation, and specialty of 2329 graduates o f The Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) to determine if women and older graduates of a historically female institution tend to practice primary ca re specialties. Four of the primary care specialties studied, obstetrics an d gynecology, family practice, general internal medicine, and pediatrics, a re actively engaged in promoting women's health. MCP graduates were selecte d for study because of the institution's commitment to women's health and i ts association with admitting qualified, nontraditional students whose gend er and age may have inhibited acceptance elsewhere. Seventy-two percent (16 72) of the 1970-1992 graduates responded to an alumnae/i questionnaire. Chi -square tests revealed that female graduates were more likely to practice f amily practice, pediatrics, and obstetrics-gynecology but not more likely t o practice general internal medicine. There was no relationship between age and practicing any of the four specialties. As more females graduate from U.S. medical schools, it is likely that they will retain their tendency to practice primary care specialties. These specialties offer women the opport unity to practice various aspects of comprehensive, lifelong women's health care. We should not expect older graduates schooled in environments favorab le to women's health and careers to practice primary care medicine.