Does being a woman make a difference in professional practice? A qualitative view to the practice of rheumatology

Objective. To explore to what extent female rheumatologists perceived that gender had an influence on their professional practice or on their choice o f specialty. Methods, We collected data from 29 female rheumatologists and used qualitat ive and quantitative methods to describe the findings. Results. Three groups of respondents were identified (cluster analysis). Mo st of these rheumatologists perceived that gender influenced the way they p racticed, although the specific weights of the topics were different in the 3 groups. Gender also influenced these physicians' choice of specialty fie ld. Conclusion. The differences in practice style may have a potential effect o n health systems as feminization of the medical profession increases.