“Someone sent me the trailer of Doctor G and it’s quite relatable”: Male gynecologists open up about the challenges they faced
From the look of the trailer, the movie, slated for release on Friday, October 14, not only looks fun and funny, but also has the potential to capture the audience’s interest and may even spur discussion on how male gynecologists in India face challenges in making their mark in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Doctor G revolves around Dr. Uday Gupta, an aspiring gynecologist who ends up becoming the only male doctor in an all-female class. The trailer describes how the main character struggles to feel comfortable with the idea of being a gynecologist and constantly trying to lose his ‘masculinity’ to become one.
It is not yet known whether Dr. Gupta (played by Ayushmann Khurrana) can successfully overcome his inhibitions. However, the trailer itself does spark some interesting discussion and raises some very compelling questions around why, in a world where male doctors thrive in the medical profession. , there are too few in the field of obstetrics and gynecology? And among those few, why hesitate and feel uncomfortable talking about it? While the answer may seem obvious, we at ETimes Lifestyle took the initiative to speak with male gynecologists and understand their views and concerns! It’s not easy…
The journey to becoming a male gynecologist
Unlike many doctors, Dr Devang Patel, Consultant, Marengo CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad, always aspired to be a gynecologist. He watched one of his loved ones become a person and was amazed at the joy a gynecologist brings to the family at Born of a baby.
In addition, he says that it is the complexity of the profession that interests him so much.
He said, “When I took this course, I liked it even more because in this field you can be a doctor, you can give drugs, you can do ultrasound, you can have internal surgery. endoscopic surgery, you can have a baby and give a family pleasure too. Unlike orthopedics or some other branch of surgery, which focuses solely on surgical procedures, that’s a lot of things.”
In contrast, Dr. Bijoy Nayak, Head and Consultant – Minimal Access & Robotic Gynecological Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, HCMCT General Hospital, Dwarka, has always been interested in General Surgery and her inclinations. he was never a gynecologist. However, during his first internship, where he had the opportunity to work under one of the top gynecologists from Odisha, he decided to venture into the field.
“Watching him work inspired me a lot and I developed an interest in the subject. From then on, I decided to practice my expertise in the subject,” he said.
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Challenges
Dr Patel said: “A doctor is a doctor, whether male or female.
However, he doesn’t shy away from talking about the challenges he faces during his training.
Referring to the movie ‘Doctor G’, Dr. Patel humorously said: “A friend of mine sent me the trailer of the movie and after watching it, I can relate to it more. It describe what we went through in the early stages of our practice or when we took the OB-GYN.”
He added, “I think that’s a stereotype, which many women, not all, but some women have. It’s that they shouldn’t go and see a male gynae woman. But what we saw after the first interaction and conversation was that they felt very comfortable. What they asked for was respect and someone who would listen to them and treat them appropriately.”
Similarly, Dr. Nayak said, “I was quite comfortable with being a male gynecologist and my entire department at the time was one of the best in the school. The stigma attached to the field. However, after the visit, they become quite comfortable and most of them start to prefer only one male gynecologist. I still have patients who come in regularly. So all of them is due to the views that society has built up.”
Proportion of male gynecologists is lower in North and South India
Interestingly, both doctors emphasize that the disparity between male and female gynecologists is much higher in Northern and some parts of South India.
“The prevalence of such challenges is in places in North India, usually Bihar and some parts of South India. But places like Gujarat, Maharashtra including Mumbai, Kerala, Orissa, have rates. male gynecologists are significantly higher in obstetrics and gynecology practice, said Dr. Nayak.
From Gujarat, Dr. Patel said: “There are a lot of male gynecologists here, it’s not like that in the North or the South.”
However, he mentioned that he carried out his expertise with high risk pregnancy and fetal medicine from Hyderabad. Looking back at an example from his practice days, he shares: “When I was with my fetal medicine teacher, just an observer, a patient said ‘No, I don’t want to have a baby. male doctor’. At that time, my teacher was very adamant and said that he is a doctor and he is only allowed to be here because he does not even touch or see you, so kind of important This concept shouldn’t be. Years later, I helped the same woman give birth. Because at the end of the day, it’s the relationship you build with your patient, and when you see them again and again, you realize that being a good doctor is important.”
‘It’s all about respecting choice’
Dr Patel explains: “Depending on past experiences, their frame of mind, and the visualization of how a man sits in front of a woman, patients tend to generalize.
To break this stereotype or stereotype, he says “respect, care, and compassion” are the most important things.
“If you respect their choice, don’t exaggerate what they say, and work towards respectful maternity care, they’ll feel more comfortable,” he said.
The doctor adds, “During delivery, what we see is that most women are unaware of their choices, their rights during labor and delivery. Long ago, there was a Traditionally they were told what to do. But now we respect their choice, give them autonomy over their bodies, let them decide what they want, who they want in the labor room. As long as it’s not medically wrong, we don’t force it. And if we go this way, confidence increases and that’s how stereotypes are broken.”
