Guys take on 'caring' professions (Part 1)

traditionally ruled by women
Part 1 of 3

GUYS' good bedside manner

Traditionally women have been nurses, but men are breaking into the profession and showing they are every bit as competent and caring as females.

And they have some advantages, such as relating to male patients, especially boys who see an elder brother, and lifting patients and moving heavy apparatus.

Ji Gang, 25, is one of four male nurses, among 300 females, at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center.

He has worked there for more than a year after graduating from the Shanghai No. 1 Medical School (now part of Jiao Tong University).

When he started he was one of just two males.

He originally wanted to be a doctor, but his marks in the national college entrance examination were not high enough - he was assigned to four years of nursing school, plus one year of internship.

Now he loves his work, mostly with thoracic surgery patients.

He operates respirators and phlegm suction equipment, gently claps the back of kids to help them breathe.

"When I started work, my colleagues helped me a lot," says Ji, but parents were reluctant to believe in a male nurse.

"They thought female nurses would be more patient and gentle," he says.

"But parents came to trust me after they saw how I treated their children," says Ji.

Boys like him, he says "because they like to play with a big brother. Sometimes a female nurse in a white uniform can be intimidating, but when they see me they feel they have a playmate."

Nurse Ji Bin, no relation to Ji Gang, has been working at the Children's Medical Center for more than a year.

"Guys clearly have more strength to lift heavy apparatus. We can do anything a female nurse can do, and we have our advantages," says Ji Bin.

Both men say the nursing profession will become more mature as more men join.

Neither young man is married, but both plan to do something for their fathers for Father's Day.

Ji Bin says, "A good father should be loving, patient and responsible - just like a nurse." Male gynecologist a pioneer Chen Qianqing

Even rarer than male nurses are male gynecologists in a conservative culture where women are often uncomfortable exposing their private parts and discussing reproduction and intimacy.

One of the few males, and a distinguished physician, in this sensitive field is Zhu Mingwei, 50, of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of the Fudan University.

He has been there for almost 30 years.

Gynecology wasn't his first choice. Like most medical college graduates, he was assigned to a specialty.

"At first it was quite upsetting to work as a male gynecologist," says Zhu. "Most patients preferred a female gynecologist. All I could do was to adjust."

But times have changed and so have women's attitudes. "Patients know that what they need is an excellent doctor, no matter what gender."

"It doesn't matter whether I like the job as a male gynecologist. Every one in society has a duty. I must be responsible for my patients because not a single mistake is allowed," says the doctor.

A twenty-something woman turned to Dr Zhu when she suffered ovarian failure and, of course, could not get pregnant. Her mother-in-law was revolted by the idea of a male gynecologist, but the woman chose Zhu because of his outstanding reputation.

After a series of treatments, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby. The whole family expressed their gratitude to the doctor.

Due to his outstanding work, Zhu was selected in 1990 for a four-year Australian training related to molecular biology and reproduction. In 2000, his scientific paper received first prize for National Outstanding Thesis in Science and Technology.

Being a dad

Asked how he would define "success," Zhu says an individual's success depends on two factors, career and family. "Both are irreplaceable," he says. "The definition of success should include whether one's offsprings are successful."

Source: ShanghaiDaily.com