"Tom, where do you see yourself this time next year? Take your time to think about it before you answer."

"Oh, that's a no brainer. I will probably be sitting down the street from the apartment at the coffee shop. Listening to all the bull shit that is flying around. Those guys in there can shoot it so high, you would need a shovel to get to the door. I am not a fool to think I will be working, that only happens in dreams. The only reason I am in this class is because I am getting paid to take it, just like everyone else here. The only promise I got was that I would have my income cut in half if I didn't take it, there is no promise of work. You all know that, right?"

Unfortunately, the silent room was filled with nods.

"Does anyone here think they will have a job when done with this course? Do you all expect a job to be handed to you on a silver platter? Or do you plan to do the work needed, collect your income for the year and then sit and gripe about life after."

The silence continued. They were looking at each other, waiting for someone to speak, to attempt to answer my question. Life had obviously been hard on these people, they deserved better and I was pissed. I sat down and flipped open my laptop. No one made a sound as I searched.

"Tom, when was the last time you went to the doctor's or the hospital?"

"That is none of your damn business, lady!" He started to rise, slamming his books shut.

"Sit! I don't want to know why you were there, that is your business not mine. I just want to know when. Anyone can answer."

Tom slid back into his chair, glaring at me. Andrew raised a hand and I nodded.

"It was about a month and a half ago that I was admitted to the hospital for a few days and that was right from the doctor's office."

"Tell me about the people at the office, the staff not the patients."

"Well, there are three doctors, two are men and one is a lady. I think there are three nurses, all female and about five techs, two are female and three guys. I had the lady doctor, one of the nurses and one of the male techs."

"And the hospital? How was it staffed? If you can remember."

"Lots of people, I would probably say more men than women but like the office they were divided in what they do."

"Did you hear anyone say in either place that they did not want particular people taking care of them?"

"No, everyone knew their job and were good at it. I did hear one lady ask if she could have one of the male aides help her get out of bed because he would be strong and she would feel safer. Her room was across the hall and I saw her walking with a walker and an aide and she was a big woman." He smiled.

"Tom, have you heard anything that would imply that males do not have a role in the medical field unless they are doctors?"

He shrugged his shoulders and replied "No."

"Does anyone else have anything to share? If not, then I would like to read something. It is a list of statistics regarding both changes in roles in medicine and in the population of employment."

Everyone listened intently as I read about the numbers of female doctors rising while the male numbers did not decline. People were accepting females as doctors. Nursing numbers showed an increase in male nurses, again with the public acceptance. Aides and techs definitely had an increase in males.

"These numbers do not lie, they are government statistics. Why do you think the roles are changing? Why shouldn't all men be doctors and all nurses and aides etc be female? How about taking a look around this room? Last count there were twelve females and eighteen males. Perhaps those males have had doubts about their futures, but I would rather think that they have the courage to pursue a change. I think it is time for lunch, you will have an extra thirty minutes today. And Tom if you choose not to return, I certainly respect that."