Paper short abstract:

This paper discusses the anxieties experienced by female physicians working in a regional university hospital. It finds that female physicians are discouraged by numerous factors including high social pressures on childrearing and lack of support at their workplaces.

Paper long abstract:

In 2022, the Japanese government reported that people over age 75 comprise over 15% of Japan’s population. As the population ages, the demand for medical care has reached unprecedented levels. However, Japan faces a severe shortage of physicians especially in rural areas. The uneven distribution of physicians by region and by specialty is widely recognized and the pandemic has underlined the urgency of addressing this issue. In 2010, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare launched a project to support female physicians by investigating issues surrounding work satisfaction, career continuity, and work-life balance. Government support for this project was based on the understanding that an increase in the number of female care practitioners would raise the quality of medical care for regional communities. This paper discusses the anxieties experienced by female physicians working in a regional university hospital. It finds that female physicians are struggling to manage work and domestic responsibilities and advance their careers. At the same time, they are discouraged by inflexible working hours, insufficient opportunities to become medical professionals, high social pressure on childrearing, and microaggression in decision making processes. As a result, many become discouraged by the lack of growth in their careers, and find themselves increasingly isolated in their workplaces. A step-by-step approach and substantial support from the government and society is essential to solve these problems and thus insure continued high levels of medical care for the population.