The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same

The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same

Soon after we finished the question and answer session in a CME, a doctor came up to me and had a short conversation about weight loss medications.

Then he asked me, “Madam, are you a dietitian?”

I glanced at my colleague, a brilliant surgeon in her own right, and we both shrugged. Some things never change…..

I’ve been a doctor for 25 years and a surgeon for nearly 20. I’ve heard it all. Back in my post-graduate days, I was the only woman in the department of surgery. The general consensus was that I would leave within 6 months and probably waste a precious surgery seat. While the male PGs were proclaimed as “Doctors”, I was the eternal “Sister” throughout.

It was assumed that being a female PG in surgery was just the backdoor to practicing gynaecology in future. When I finally graduated, if people saw me in scrubs, they almost always assumed that I was the anesthetist. There was a lot unsolicited advice about the wrong choice of my chosen profession and ofcourse the assumption that—”Women in surgery never make it to the top.”

Today after nearly two decades, people still do not expect or accept that the woman standing in front of them could actually be a surgeon.

In the early days, I’d get angry and upset. I would react. The whole “sister” or “anesthetist” thing would set me off. But today? I just shrugged and laughed it off.

Because no matter what you call us, we are here—and we’re here to stay.

Women in surgery aren’t just breaking barriers, we’re shattering them. Women are leading departments and organizations, conducting complex surgeries, and showing the world what true excellence looks like. Women surgeons score higher on empathy and compassion.

Research shows that women surgeons actually have better patient outcomes and lower morbidity and mortality. People live longer when they’re treated by women doctors.

So call us whatever you like—but know this: the numbers of women surgeons are rising, the tables are turning, and the world better get used to it.

We’re not just here to stay, we’re here to thrive.

©️Dr. Aparna Govil Bhasker