On Friday, January 15th (2016) my group and I interviewed Lisa Busillo at The Coffee Bean, across the street from our school. I was sick this day so I called in to the interview. Mrs. Busillo is an anesthesiologist. An anesthesiologist is a type of doctor, they have to figure out how much anesthesia to give patients while they are in surgery. Lisa told us many stories of gender-based discrimination she has faced in her career. One that really caught my attention was this particular story. Many times she will walk in to the OR (operating room) and say; hi, I’m Lisa Busillo and they will say; when is the doctor coming? This shows that, subconsciously, we imagine doctors as men. We also asked her how she balanced work and family with her husband and if it was a good system. She told us, when her kids were younger she would work less so she could take them to school and hockey practice. Now she can work more. Her husband usually cooks dinner in the evenings. On her days off she cooks, cleans, does laundry, and drops her kids off at school and activities. She said the system works well for her. Although she did have to work less when her kids were younger. This is a problem for many women, balancing family and work. Some women become less ambitious and settle for a lower job when they have an opportunity for a higher job because they are skeptical if they are going to be able to have a family with such a big job and responsibility. This interview opened our eyes to the common stereotypes and assumptions we all make everyday.
