India’s healthcare workforce is visibly transforming. Walk into a medical college classroom today and you will likely see women occupying half — and sometimes more — of the seats. Step into hospitals across metros and smaller cities, and women physicians are leading departments, heading ICUs, performing complex procedures and driving patient care.
The entry pipeline is strong. The aspiration is undeniable. Yet representation at the starting line does not always translate into equity at the summit. Beneath the visible progress lies a more layered reality — one shaped by burnout patterns, structural bias, caregiving crossroads and uneven leadership representation.
Burnout patterns
Dr Tejinder Kataria, Chairperson-Radiation Oncology, Medanta Gurugram observes, “Women physicians may face unique contributing factors to burnout, often experiencing it with greater intensity. The integration of professional demands with societal expectations for caregiving, coupled with navigating subtle biases, can collectively lead to higher stress levels and emotional fatigue.”
The burnout among women doctors is rarely confined to hospital corridors. It accumulates across roles — clinician, caregiver, mentor, administrator, parent. The emotional labour of medicine does not end with duty hours, and that overlap often intensifies fatigue in ways that remain invisible to institutions.
Dr Chhya Vaja, Internal Medicine Expert, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Mumbai notes, “Women physicians tend to experience burnout more intensively than men. Many report suffering from higher emotional exhaustion and stress. The causes can be longer work hours, pressure to balance family responsibilities, gender bias, and fewer leadership opportunities.”
The interplay between ambition and expectation creates constant negotiation. Even as women push for professional growth, they continue to shoulder disproportionate domestic responsibility. When leadership opportunities remain limited, effort does not always translate into advancement — compounding frustration.
Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker, ConsultantBariatric and Laparoscopic Surgeon, MetaHeal – Laparoscopy and Bariatric Surgery Center, Mumbai; Saifee, Apollo, and Namaha Hospitals, Mumbai explains, “Burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work place stress which is characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and feelings of decreased personal achievement. Burnout amongst women physicians is 30 to 60 per cent higher than their male counterparts and can be attributed to multiple factors.”
The statistics point to a systemic issue rather than individual vulnerability. When burnout rates are this disproportionate, resilience training alone will not suffice. Institutional workload design, promotion fairness and caregiving support must become part of the solution.
Dr Chetna Jain, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, Gurgaon adds, “Evidence globally and increasingly in India suggests women physicians experience higher rates of burnout, but the pattern differs rather than simply being ‘more intense.”
The distinction matters. The experience is not simply heavier — it is different. Role conflict, slower advancement and perception bias shape a unique stress architecture. Effective interventions must recognise these patterns rather than assume uniformity.
Dr Himani Sharma, Clinical Head & Senior Consultant, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Cocoon Hospital, Jaipur, notes, “Burnout among physicians often stems from cumulative expectations rather than just workload… Many women doctors simultaneously manage caregiving roles at home, leading to layered fatigue. The constant need to maintain empathy while consistently proving competence can further contribute to burnout.” Her perspective brings attention to emotional labour especially in high-touch specialties — where empathy is constant and expectations relentless.
Dr Meinal Chaudhry, Director – Radiodiagnosis and Interventional Radiology, Aakash Healthcare, adds, “Burnout affects all doctors, but many women experience an added layer of stress. After long hospital hours, many women return home to caregiving responsibilities. This double workload leaves very little time to rest or recover.”
The “double shift” continues to be one of the most under-recognised contributors to fatigue.
Dr Ruchi Srivastava, Director – Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ShardaCare Healthcity, reinforces, “There is a grave issue in burnout in women physicians. Stress among the male doctors is comparable to female doctors, but females tend to have more stress that is associated with the burden of social expectations, care giving effects, and the problem of integrating their work and their families.”
Her observation places burnout within a broader social context — not merely workplace stress but societal expectation. Dr Vineeta Singh Tandon, Senior Consultant – Internal Medicine, ISIC Multispecialty Hospital, adds, “Working long hours, emotional labour in dealing with patients and the need to remain always competent in competitive situations can lead to greater levels of stress.”
The pattern across voices is consistent: burnout among women physicians is layered, cumulative and structurally influenced.
Dr Rachana Tataria, Consultant – Breast Reconstruction & Plastic Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mulund, Mumbai stresses, “The number of women in medicine have consistently grown in the past 50 years such that almost 50 per cent medical graduates are now women. Studies have shown that female doctors spend more time with patients, are more involved and have better clinical outcomes too. But female doctors do struggle more as they go through training and career advancement. As you go up the career advancement ladder female representation only fades out.”
“There is disproportionate burden of domestic and parental responsibilities, worklife integration challenges as per societal norms and significant time attributed to pregnancy, child birth and child rearing. Women are usually perceived to be less capable of leadership roles and less likely to have a voice in rounding practices.”
Persistent bias
Dr Kataria notes, “Structural and cultural biases can still subtly influence clinical practice and career progression. These may manifest as unconscious biases in evaluation or promotion processes, affecting representation in leadership roles.”
Bias today is rarely overt. It appears in evaluation language, leadership nominations or assumptions about long-term commitment. Because it operates quietly, it often goes unchallenged — yet its cumulative effect shapes entire career trajectories.
Dr Vaja states, “Structural and cultural biases persist in clinical practice. Women physicians often face pay gaps, slower promotions, fewer leadership roles, and limited mentorship. Maternity breaks may affect evaluations. They may receive less recognition, more emotional labor, and face gender stereotypes, bias in assessments, and unequal opportunities for research and visibility.”
These disparities become most visible at senior levels. While entry into medicine may be gender-balanced, leadership ratios tell a different story. Without structural correction, the pyramid continues to narrow upward.
Dr Bhasker recalls, “For the longest period of time, during my surgical residency patients addressed me as “sister” while my male colleagues were the “doctors”. I still remember how, after completing my post-graduation, I discovered that in my first role as a surgical registrar, I was being paid less than a male colleague with comparable qualifications and experience. Compensation disparities remain commonplace even today.”
Cultural perceptions influence professional authority. When credibility is constantly negotiated, energy is diverted from performance to validation. Over time, such micro-biases reinforce macro-inequities.
Dr Sampada Dessai, Consultant Gynecological Cancer and Robotic Surgeon, P.D. Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, observes, “As time passes, India’s medical workforce is steadily feminising… However, a concerning trend emerges as we move toward specialisation and super-specialisation. The gender ratio gradually shifts back toward male dominance, particularly in surgical and high-intensity specialties.”
The funnel effect is clear. Representation improves at entry but contracts at advanced specialisation. This suggests that barriers intensify as prestige and decision-making power increase.
Dr Anita Kant, Chairman, OBG Services & Robotic Surgery, Asian Hospital, adds, “Certain specialities, especially procedurebased ones, are still seen as male spaces. While progress has been made, true equality requires identifying and removing structural imbalances rather than assuming the problem no longer exists.” Bias today may be subtle, but its impact is cumulative
Dr Chaudhry notes that women may be viewed as less committed if they request flexible hours or plan maternity leave. Dr Tandon highlights, “Women can face reduced leadership opportunities, unawareness in promotions, or even assumptions regarding their availability during the childbearing years.”
Dr Kataria suggests, “Institutions can significantly enhance support through thoughtful policies. This includes offering comprehensive maternity leave, promoting flexible work arrangements like part-time options or telemedicine, and providing access to childcare solutions.”
Policy signals intent, but implementation defines impact. Maternity leave without career continuity planning can unintentionally slow advancement. Institutions must ensure that temporary pauses do not become permanent plateaus.
Dr Pritpal Kaur, Senior Consultant in Pulmonology at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Delhi, emphasises, “Support should definitely go beyond the maternal leave policies… structured return-to-work pathways, flexible shifts.”
Structured re-entry recognises transition as a process rather than an event. Skill refreshers, phased scheduling and protected promotion timelines help maintain professional momentum. Retention depends on what happens after leave — not just during it.
Dr Prathima Reddy, Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, SPARSH Hospital, Bangalore adds, “Institutions should move beyond the statutory maternity leave. Some factors are very much critical such as structured re-entry programs, flexible scheduling post-maternity, childcare support, and nonpenalised career pauses.”
Moving beyond compliance toward culture change is essential. When caregiving is normalised rather than penalised, the system evolves to reflect real-life realities. That shift benefits not only women, but workforce sustainability overall.
Dr Farah Ingale, Director-Internal Medicine, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Navi Mumbai, notes, “Real change requires more than policy statements. Parental leave policies that support both parents, accessible flexible work options all play a role.”
Dr Kant expands the lens, “Caregiving is not limited to maternity. Short-term leave options and flexible schedules can make a lot of difference… experienced doctors otherwise have to resign or take long leaves.”
Shared caregiving policies recalibrate expectation. When caregiving becomes genderneutral, leadership evaluation becomes more balanced. Inclusion then shifts from accommodation to equity. Dr Sharma adds that caregiving must be recognised as a life phase, not a professional limitation. Dr Chaudhry calls for paid leave, childcare facilities and flexible return options without break in service
Dr Tandon underscores the need for mental health services and organised return-towork programs. Retention, the experts agree, hinges on structured institutional support.
Flexibility as infrastructure
Dr Kataria states, “Flexible models like telemedicine and portfolio careers are emerging as valuable tools for improving retention and growth.”
Flexibility works best when embedded structurally. Telemedicine and hybrid practice allow continuity without career detachment. For many women physicians, this adaptability ensures they remain connected to clinical excellence during demanding life phases.
Dr Lubna Chingili, Chief Medical Officer NURA AI Health Screening Centre explains, “Telemedicine has brought a positive change… Portfolio careers allow doctors to do different types of work at the same time.”
Portfolio careers diversify professional identity. Teaching, research, consulting and clinical practice can coexist, reducing burnout while enhancing growth. This multidimensional approach aligns well with evolving workforce aspirations.
Dr Suman Sethi, Director & Head of the Institute of Nephrology at RG Hospitals, Ludhiana affirms, “Telemedicine and portfolio careers are game-changers for retention.” Retention is not merely about keeping talent — it is about enabling it to flourish long term. Flexible models offer that possibility, provided access is equitable and not privilege-dependent.
Dr Jain notes, “Flexible models like telemedicine and portfolio careers improves retention-significantly, but unevenly. Telemedicine allows continuity during pregnancy or caregiving.”
Dr Chaudhry reiterates the importance of equal pay for equal work through regular assessments. Dr Tandon calls for more radical structural reforms and inclusive leadership pipelines
The uneven implementation is the next frontier. Scaling these models across institutions — not just progressive pockets — will determine their transformative potential. Dr Srivastava recommends ,”On policy and governance front, hospitals and accreditation agencies ought to take into consideration quantifiable gender equity standards.” Dr Kant highlights the importance of workplace safety policies and proper grievance redressal mechanisms.
Reforming the system
Dr Kataria calls for, “Achieving long-term gender equity requires strategic reforms. Key areas include implementing transparent policies for promotion and compensation, fostering inclusive leadership development programs, and integrating awareness training on unconscious bias.”
Transparency removes ambiguity. Clearly articulated criteria reduce subjective evaluation and narrow bias influence. Fair systems build trust — and trust sustains engagement. Dr Vaja lists, “India needs equal pay transparency, fair promotion policies, paid parental leave. More women in leadership, flexible work models, and unbiased evaluation systems are essential.”
These reforms are foundational, not aspirational. Without pay audits and promotion clarity, inequities persist quietly. Long-term workforce planning must incorporate these safeguards.
Leadership pipelines require investment. Structured training, sponsorship programs and succession planning ensure that representation improves at the top — not just at entry levels.
Dr Jain emphasises, “Accreditation bodies could include equity audits as part of hospital quality assessment frameworks.” Measurement converts intent into action. Without benchmarks, progress is difficult to track. Data-driven oversight transforms equity into operational strategy.
Dr Bhasker shares, “During my own postgraduate counselling, I was actively discouraged from pursuing general surgery… Specialties like surgery and orthopaedics need early exposure.”
Discouragement during formative years shapes lifelong choices. Early exposure to high-intensity disciplines, coupled with visible role models, can dismantle inherited stereotypes. Dr Kataria suggests, “Bridging this representation gap… necessitates systemic approaches. Early exposure and mentorship programs, for female medical students can inspire interest.”
Mentorship within surgical and interventional departments creates belonging. When trainees see structured support, aspiration converts into participation.
Dr Shalini Singh, Gynecological Endoscopic Surgery and Infertility, Regency Health, Lucknow adds, “It is important to address the gender gap in specialties such as surgery, orthopaedics, and interventional disciplines. This requires a systemic change. It is important that young doctors or medical practitioners have the right mentorship within surgical departments, supportive training environments, and flexibility during training and research.”
Systemic change means more than encouragement — it requires institutional accountability. Representation will rise when opportunity, training and evaluation processes align equitably. Dr Kant calls for supportive and respectful training environments in procedure based disciplines.
Dr Chaudhry stresses, “Early exposure in medical school is necessary. If female surgeons are seen as role models and their achievements highlighted, others will feel encouraged to take up those specialities. The same is the case with other specialities such as orthopaedics.”
Dr Tandon underscores the need for safe, conducive working conditions in traditionally male-dominated specialties.
The power of networks
Dr Chingili explains, “A mentor guides, advises, and supports doctors, especially in the early stages of their career or during important transitions. A sponsor goes one step further; they actively recommend and support women for leadership opportunities. Peer networks create a sense of support and belonging, reduce feelings of isolation, and build confidence.”
The distinction is critical. Mentorship develops competence; sponsorship advances visibility. Peer networks provide resilience through shared experience.
Dr Bhasker emphasises, “Women in healthcare continue to navigate multiple barriers — personal, professional, and socio-cultural. Access to informal power networks, the traditional “boys’ clubs,” still influences opportunities in subtle but significant ways. Women are traditionally wired to prioritise competence over visibility and contribution over self-promotion. Many a times that combination can unintentionally slow career progression.”
Careers often pivot on timely guidance. Formal mentorship structures reduce isolation and accelerate confidence, particularly in male-dominated specialties.
Dr Jain notes, “Mentorship, sponsorship, and peer networks are extremely important and often underestimated. Mentorship provides skill development, emotional support and academic guidance. Sponsorship is more critical for advancement.”
Advancement requires advocacy. Institutionalising sponsorship ensures that talent is not merely prepared but promoted.
Measuring what matters
Dr Kataria proposes, “Adopting measurable gender equity benchmarks could serve as a valuable mechanism for progress. These benchmarks might include metrics for representation in leadership roles, parity in promotion rates, and successful reintegration postleave.”
Benchmarking transforms aspiration into responsibility. Tracking representation ratios, promotion timelines and pay parity ensures that equity remains a strategic objective rather than a seasonal conversation.
Dr Ingale reinforces, “What gets measured gets addressed. Tracking parameters such as leadership representation, for example, helps organisations move beyond intent. Benchmarks bring transparency and accountability, and that’s how cultural change becomes sustainable rather than symbolic.”
Transparent reporting encourages accountability. Institutions improve when progress is visible and comparable. Targets provide direction. Clear goals help organisations move from intent to impact — systematically and sustainably
The insights from across India converge on one truth: women are not seeking special treatment. They are seeking structural fairness. Burnout patterns, specialty gaps, leadership disparities and caregiving crossroads are interconnected signals that the healthcare ecosystem must evolve. The solution lies in redesign — transparent promotion systems, equitable pay audits, flexible work infrastructure, structured re-entry pathways, mentorship pipelines and measurable benchmarks.
As Dr Jain powerfully reminds us, “Gender equity in healthcare is not a women’s issue — it is a workforce sustainability issue.”
Dr Dessai adds, “Taking proper steps at governance level to see the ratio ,institutions taking proper steps to address inequality at the workplace, considering promotion and leadership based on capabilities and not gender, apart from maternity benefits providing onsite child care facilities, providing proper sponsorship and mentorship can slowly change this picture.”
India’s healthcare ambitions — expansion, innovation, global leadership — depend on retaining and empowering its full talent pool. The women in whitecoats are already driving progress. The next leap will depend on whether the system evolves to sustain them.
When women physicians thrive, healthcare thrives with them.
Kalyani.sharma@expressindia.com
journokalyani@gmail.com