The impact of the pandemic on female physicians: "I just don't think I will ever feel the same"

BackgroundTheCOVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected female physicians, exacerbating existing gender disparities both at home and in the workplace. We aimed to understand how the effects of the pandemic continued to impact female physicians.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative study of 24 female physicians through focus groups consisting of 4 to 6 participants. Focus group transcripts were coded deductively.ResultsKey themes were identified, including lack of wellbeing, unsafe working conditions, increased work burden, lack of childcare, and the critical role of flexibility in scheduling. Lack of wellbeing, increased work burden, and the need for flexibility had persisted years after the pandemic.ConclusionsThe findings emphasize the need for institutional support to address these challenges and retain a robust, diverse workforce in medicine.