[optimal] Re: Scientific Session idea: gender in ophthalmic
- From: Peter Hay <peterhay@xxxxxxx>
- To: "optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <optimal@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:52:23 -0400
Nice summation of the OPS over the years Mark .
Peter Hay
Sent from Iphone
_____________________
Peter Hay,CRA,FOPS
Retina Vitreous Surgeons
3107 East Genesee St.
Syracuse , NY 13224
Peterhay@xxxxxxx
On Aug 9, 2012, at 11:43 AM, Mark Maio <markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> My observations on gender, having started in ophthalmic photography in 1978
> after beginning my career in 1975 as a medical photographer.
>
> Most ophthalmic photographers back in the 70’s started as medical
> photographers. The majority of ophthalmic photography (a new sub specialty of
> medicine) was being done in teaching hospitals and it required not only the
> knowledge of diagnostic imaging but also running a full service darkroom and
> imaging support for research and educational projects. Medical photographers
> were recruited or applied for ophthalmic photography positions as a natural
> progression of furthering their careers. Back then I explained my job as
> doing diagnostic imaging of the eye and at the same time doing all the
> additional functions of a medical photographer in support of the
> ophthalmology department. The majority of these photographers were male.
>
> As many university programs started retina fellowships, a good number of
> these new specialists in ophthalmology chose to go into private practice
> rather than academics. As they did, the need for retina photography in
> private practice increased and many ophthalmic technicians started doing the
> photography, the majority of which were women. I remember sitting down with
> Paul Montague as he was OPS President in the mid 80’s and I was on the BOD
> and discussing the change in gender makeup of the OPS. At the time it was
> around 50/50. We looked at the BOD and BOE and saw that men made up the
> majority of members running the OPS and decided to start looking for and
> encouraging women to run for those positions. We figured that if 50% of our
> organization was female, that percentage should be reflected in the governing
> bodies. I continued this same philosophy for the four years I was President
> after Paul. It would be interesting for someone to do a retrospective look at
> the male/female makeup of the OPS over the years. My guess is that the OPS is
> probably 75% female.
>
> I agree with Marty that I don’t think there is a difference between men and
> women in photographic or computer problem solving ability or skills. While
> working as an ophthalmic photographer I needed to learn to troubleshoot my
> equipment to make sure I could continue doing diagnostic imaging on patients
> every day. Did I enjoy it? No! I did it because I needed to do it. I have no
> need to know how my camera or computer works, I just need to use it to do my
> job. On the other hand I know women in our field who are excellent at both
> troubleshooting their diagnostic imaging equipment and are quite the “geek”
> when it comes to their computers.
>
> Mark
>
> Mark Maio
> InVision, Inc.
> 5445 Buckhollow Drive
> Alpharetta, GA 30005
> markmaio@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 404-386-5676
>
> Consultant in ophthalmic and biomedical imaging.
> Member of Adobe's Biomedical Imaging Advisory Group
>
> My fine art photography is represented by Lumiere:
> http://lumieregallery.net/wp/?p=254
>
>
>
>
>
> On 8/9/12 10:34 AM, "angiolith@xxxxxxx" <angiolith@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I am not able to take the bait about gender in ophthalmic photography, but
> would like to stir the pot:
>
> 1. The fact that more of the fiddlers, jury riggers, etc., are male may not
> be a gender biased finding. Most of the early ophthalmic photographers were
> male (probably because the institutions were more likely to hire males in the
> late 70'sand 80's), and these males were fiddlers and jury-riggers by
> necessity as well as by nature, since the profession was not codified yet and
> we had to do considerable problem solving.
>
> 2. The fiddlers and jury riggers, of whatever gender, are not necessarily
> better ophthalmic photographers either. When I offer to try to fix something
> I haven't tried before, I always ask the requester if he/she is OK with me
> ruining what I try to fix; the first time you try to fix something is always
> a tricky proposition. On the other hand, I have loved taking things apart
> since I was a kid. Still do - I never throw out a broken appliance or piece
> of electronics without peeking inside.
>
> 3. But is this gender based or biased? Gender or environmentally
> determined? I don't know. However, my daughter has always liked fixing and
> taking stuff apart with me, and my son (who is an expert computer weenie)
> could care less.
>
> 4. And Denice, I AM writing this while working (but at an office that has a
> fairly low FA volume).
>
> Marty Rothenberg
> Angiographics, Inc.
>
>
> --
Other related posts:
