Interesting ASTRO Career Center Job Posting

[Ursus Martimus]

"Looking for a part time female radiation oncologist to help grow women services in a freestanding, physician owned, radiation center in Littleton, CO. Raystation planning system, Varian IX with SBRT, cone beam, hyperthermia, Nucletron HDR, our own surgery center, 1 1/2 other physicians. Brachytherapy interest optional."

I am surprised that ASTRO allows for the posting of this, obviously non-equal opportunity, employment opportunity.

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gfunk6]

Also note the salary of $100k, I guess for two days per week?

ASTRO has posted Urorad jobs on their career center in the past, so I don't think they are particularly picky when taking in advertising revenue.

 

[Ursus Martimus]

Although one must make the distinction between the unethical and the illegal?

 

[iradi8u]

Gotta love double standards!

 

[deleted4401]

So, generally, not down with sexism. But, if you have one doc who is a man already, sometimes it's good to have a female partner. Also, for gyn and breast, a lot of our patients call and specifically ask for a woman. So, maybe they shouldn't mention it, but just interview both and hire a woman.

 

[medgator]

I guess I wonder at what point have we gone too far. We (appropriately so) criticize a patient who requests that only white staff take care of their child but then we post ads saying that we are only looking for a woman for a group, essentially asking for only the minority sex to apply (as 65-75% of our specialty is male last time I checked). To me its just as bad as if the ad said looking for insert X minority race. At some point it doesn't matter which way its going, this type of behavior is wrong. As a married man, I don't care if the OB-Gyn seeing my wife is a man or woman, I want the best and most compassionate person possible to take care of my wife. At some point (outside of religious issues), we need to stop this kind of discrimination by not playing into the hands of it.

As the woman going to the gyn for checkups though, you might feel differently. No different than the pt with prostate ca requesting to see me instead of the female partner in my practice.

Ultimately for things like that, patient preference should be accommodated if possible imo

 

[deleted4401]

I think that you're missing it little. Of all complaints of a sexual nature made against a physician, 99 percent are from a female patient being treated by a male physician. The opposite rarely happens, so I can understand discomfort from a female. Not saying most male physicians are perverts. I'm saying most perverted physicians are male.

Same for the race thing. I went to medical school in the Deep South and there still is significant distrust of the medical system because of Tuskegee and other non publicized atrocities. I agree - best person for the job, but all things being equal (which they rarely are), the idea of having a few competent non white/Indian males in the practice would be a good thing.

Come on Wagy, you know that's not comparable! White/south Asian males are the establishment. If that was the employment posting, I'd be skeptical that they are doing this entirely for the right reason.

When my mom had her breast malignancy, she had female med onc and rad onc for her comfort. I don't think she's sexist!

I think the job posting is crap. I think they should just hire a gal if they want. My female partner will not touch a prostate or testicle (professionally)

 

[deleted4401]

I think you aren't wrong...

But, say you saw a big group that had only male docs... As a female patient or doc, I'd think that group doesn't have foresight. That's all. Maybe that hiring group was losing patients to the group next door that had a female doc. And they want to be competitive. That may help. Private practice is less forgiving than academics and part of it may have to do with demographics. I never said it is right, I'm just saying that the idea of a multi gender and racial group may benefit the whole in immeasurable ways.

 

[RadOncDoc21]

Not to sidetrack the conversation but whenever I hear the phrase, "I don't believe in affirmative action" I think of the times my father did his medical training when there were no minorities in professional schools/college and it was only because of affirmative action he had a chance.

To claim we have overcome racism/sexism/gay rights is too big of a step but I do admit we're heading in the right direction. Unfortunately I've experienced too much racism and stereotypical behavior in my life to believe otherwise.

 

[deleted4401]

Uh oh ... let's not go down this rabbit hole! Gotta say, though, rad onc at a field is pretty damn meritocratic. Very few people haven't earned their spot.

 

[medgator]

Uh oh ... let's not go down this rabbit hole! Gotta say, though, rad onc at a field is pretty damn meritocratic. Very few people haven't earned their spot.

Wasn't always that way, but nowadays and the last several years, you're right

 

[medgator]

and it's baaack.

http://careers.astro.org/m/jobs/detail/?job=5721186

 

[hot sauce]

Putting aside the issue of should you use gender in your hiring process for the moment. I would just as soon know up front that the practice wasn't interested in hiring me rather than applying for the job and wasting my time and energy thinking I have a shot.

 

[deleted4401]

True!

 

[sirspamalot]

In the current 9 year later era of DEI.. this would be considered a plus!

 

[Ray D. Ayshun]

Brachytherapy interest optional?