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Sir, I am a female undergraduate and was recently allocated a two week placement in a combined oral surgery and maxillofacial department in a leading hospital in the UK. This has strengthened my understanding of the importance of quick referral for sinister appearing lesions, my ability to closely follow patients' hospital attendances both pre- and post-operative, and the impact trauma and malignancy can have on not just a patient's quality of life but also that of their family.

I respect and admire those in the maxfac speciality, having the patience to complete the long pathway, the intense hours and the retention of immense detail of head and neck anatomy. However, I have not encountered one female maxillofacial consultant and was very disappointed to learn, following further enquiry into the dynamics of the team, that the entire team of maxfac consultants were all male. This posed a serious question: where was the female representation? Undoubtedly women are just as capable as men, so why was there a serious lack of female consultants?

I am therefore writing in the hope that a female maxfac will get in touch and shine some light on the matter. I have gathered that motherhood and this aspiring career do not mix well. However, I believe there must be females out there who have a good balance of motherhood and a maxfac job. I feel that increasing awareness to all dental undergraduates of real life stories of those with families and careers is very important as we are the next generation in this profession. It can become all too easy for women to see the lack of a gender balance in this speciality and then decide it is not for them. I wouldn't be surprised if many did want to pursue this career but believe they'd need to sacrifice motherhood in order to do so – which surely can't be right? Any advice from female consultants out there would be appreciated!

1. Leeds