Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Mansplaining in medicine and how to solve it

Steve Adelman, MD
Physician
June 23, 2021
46 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

My friend (I’ll call him Dr. Mensch) reached out to me because he fears that a gender war is unfolding in his division. He is worried that current cultural concerns about gender equity are degrading the previously harmonious relations between male and female professionals on his team and that the mounting tension could have a negative impact on patient care.

Mensch told me that several female physicians, including residents and fellows, use the term “mansplaining” in a fashion that he described as, “imprecise, cavalier, even reckless.” He put it like this, “It’s as though ‘mansplain’ has become the preferred verb when some women in the division describe the verbal style of their male colleagues.”  He said that he’s not the only male member of his workgroup who feels painted by the broad brush of presumed linguistic sexism.  Most of them do.

Urban Dictionary describes mansplaining as, “When a man explains something to a woman in a patronizing tone as if the woman is too emotional and illogical to understand.”  When it comes to a speaker’s words and his tone, is there an objective way to determine the man’s attitudes and whether or not what he said was, indeed, patronizing?  I conferred with an Oxford-trained linguistics professor who assured me that, “we can draw some robust inferences about attitude from how people behave and speak.” However, in Mensch’s division, different team members don’t hear the same thing.

There is a growing rift in this workgroup that previously enjoyed a robust esprit de corps.  The team has become factionalized – those who make liberal use of the word mansplaining; those who feel disparaged when they hear it; and, a third group that tries to avoid the fray.  Although Mensch has provided guidance to the male physicians who need to work on their tone, especially when they speak to women, he is convinced that the tension surrounding gender is escalating out of control.

What can be done to restore an atmosphere of collegiality and mutual respect in Mensch’s division?  In “Men’s Fear of Mentoring in the #MeToo Era — What’s at Stake for Academic Medicine?“, the authors posit that in this era of increased “focus on gender equity and diversity in medicine,” male physicians become fearful and anxious in a way that “can turn every experience that men have with women into a hazard that needs to be managed.”

Each gender equity situation has its own unique qualities.  It is up to thoughtful front-line leaders to sort things out with level-headedness, curiosity, patience, and respect in conjunction with their teams. Ideally, they will talk with one another and listen hard.  Respectful dialogue may propel them beyond the current impasse.  The authors of the article suggest “creating a ‘safe space’ where men and women can talk directly about concerns.”

Reflective, empathic listening ultimately works far better than any amount of “splainin’” or venting to aggrieved parties.

Steve Adelman is a psychiatrist and can be reached at his self-titled site, AdelMED.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Bracing for change: the escalating importance of USMLE Step 2

June 23, 2021 Kevin 1
…
Next

Physicians and the midlife dip [PODCAST]

June 23, 2021 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Hospital-Based Medicine

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Bracing for change: the escalating importance of USMLE Step 2
Next Post >
Physicians and the midlife dip [PODCAST]

More by Steve Adelman, MD

  • Should all health professionals be teetotalers?

    Steve Adelman, MD
  • The horror of darkened hearts

    Steve Adelman, MD
  • I’m covering the practice of a “Dr. Feel Good”

    Steve Adelman, MD

Related Posts

  • How social media can advance humanism in medicine

    Pooja Lakshmin, MD
  • The difference between learning medicine and doing medicine

    Steven Zhang, MD
  • Why academic medicine needs to value physician contributions to online platforms

    Ariela L. Marshall, MD
  • KevinMD at the Richmond Academy of Medicine

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Medicine rewards self-sacrifice often at the cost of physician happiness

    Daniella Klebaner
  • Medicine won’t keep you warm at night

    Anonymous

More in Physician

  • The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation

    Brian Hudes, MD
  • Surgical procedures for inpatients: Addressing socioeconomic urgencies

    Deepak Gupta, MD
  • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

    Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD
  • A message of hope for physicians

    Kim Downey, PT
  • From aversion to office politics to embracing independence

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • Navigating medical decision-making: Embracing limits and growth

    Benjamin Wade Frush, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Ethical considerations in medicine: unity and open discourse

      Andrew Zywiec, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • For newer doctors, avoid lifestyle inflation

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • Is emergency medicine your calling? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Chronic health issues and homelessness

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Navigating the broken medical system: challenges faced by foreign medical graduates

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The essence of medicine: genuine connections in practice

      Jennifer Tillman, MD | Physician
    • 1 in 4 attempt suicide: the persecution of autistic physicians

      Patricia Celan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Is emergency medicine your calling? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Exploring disfigurement and self-worth

      Kathleen Watt | Conditions
    • AI is living up to its promise as a tool for radiology

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Tech
    • The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation

      Brian Hudes, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Diverse paths to financial freedom for doctors [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 2 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • 'Con Man' Gets Another Top Hospital Job, This Time at Penn Medicine
  • TikTok Dinged for Misinformation; BRCA Risk Overestimated; Cheers for Oncology
  • Flawed Rules in No Surprises Act Hurt Doctors and Patients, Experts Say
  • IG Live September 25: When the Healers Need Healing

Meeting Coverage

  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • AI Has an Image Problem in Healthcare, Expert Says
  • Want Better Health Outcomes? Check Out What Other Countries Do
  • ERS Roundup: Cell Transplant Boosts Lung Function in COPD Patients
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Ethical considerations in medicine: unity and open discourse

      Andrew Zywiec, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • For newer doctors, avoid lifestyle inflation

      Amarish Dave, DO | Finance
    • Is emergency medicine your calling? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Chronic health issues and homelessness

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Navigating the broken medical system: challenges faced by foreign medical graduates

      Anonymous | Physician
    • The essence of medicine: genuine connections in practice

      Jennifer Tillman, MD | Physician
    • 1 in 4 attempt suicide: the persecution of autistic physicians

      Patricia Celan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Is emergency medicine your calling? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Exploring disfigurement and self-worth

      Kathleen Watt | Conditions
    • AI is living up to its promise as a tool for radiology

      Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian | Tech
    • The shifting landscape of gastroenterology manpower and compensation

      Brian Hudes, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Diverse paths to financial freedom for doctors [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Mansplaining in medicine and how to solve it
2 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...