There has been quite a bit of chatter around the Twitsphere about a private practice in Melbourne, where female GP are charging less than their male colleagues. In Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, on average female GPs make just about the same salary as male colleagues.

This is despite the fact that women in Australia have had a slight decline in their medical education since 1990. The reasons for this drop may be attributed to rising health costs and other pressures to become homemakers. However, many would say it has been caused by the increase in the number of medical specialists who have become more specialized in the past few decades.

It should not come as a surprise then that these specialists are charging higher fees for their services because they need to cover all the expenses associated with providing their services. Many private practitioners simply cannot afford to hire enough people to staff their waiting rooms and the various clinics they own.

Female GPs cannot afford to pay for the same amount of staffing in every clinic so they have to charge more to their patients. They may even need to charge more if they want to hire more medical doctors in their clinics.

Female doctors have to be extremely dedicated to the profession in order to make it successful. These doctors are required to work with people who may not understand the complexity of their medical condition and treatment options. This is an especially difficult task when there are multiple patients involved.

Although a woman may have to deal with some of the same issues as her male counterpart, he is more likely to have access to specialized knowledge in his field and therefore be better able to understand the patient’s healthcare needs. Women are often put at a disadvantage when dealing with these complicated medical situations. With the help of an experienced specialist in female medicine, this can be corrected.

It may also help to acquire professional indemnity insurance for yourself to protect your interests in case you find yourself facing legal action from a disgruntled patient. Many times this type of insurance coverage protects medical professionals against claims from patients who are dissatisfied with the services they receive.

Many doctors may choose to specialize in a particular specialty. This is sometimes an ideal route to take, especially if they find it difficult to gain a foothold within the medical community because of their gender. However, it does take a lot of time to gain the level of experience and education that is necessary to make such a change.

As a female GP, you have to balance the books and provide good medical care for your patients. It may be harder than men, but you can make it happen if you’re determined to be successful.