REFLECTIONS ON GENDER AND THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY IN PHYSICAL THERAPY: FOUR FEMALE FACULTY SHARE THEIR STORIES. Regina R. Kaufman* Physical Therapy, Springfield College, Springfield, MA UNIQUE: While a number of researchers have used empirical research methods to examine gender bias in employment and compensation in clinical physical therapy practice, no one to date has investigated the experiences of female physical therapy faculty members from the perspective of gender. The implications of physical therapy as an historically female-dominated profession have not been explored. PURPOSE: The purpose of this oral history research project was to explore the influences of gender on the professional experiences of female physical therapy faculty members. FOUNDATION: Despite the majority status of female professionals, male physical therapists have historically held disproportionately high numbers of leadership roles and have been favored with higher salaries than women in clinical and academic settings across many years. The experiences of female physical therapy faculty members appear to mirror the experiences of women in higher education in general, where women continue to struggle for equity with men. The opportunities afforded or denied women based on their gender as they decide to join the profession, the socialization of women once in a professional career, and the qualifications, expectations, and abilities carried by female physical therapists into higher education settings may disadvantage both individual women and the profession of physical therapy in terms of professional accomplishments and professional stature. DESCRIPTION: The subjects for this oral history project were recruited through a purposive sampling process. The four subjects represent longevity of at least thirty years in physical therapy, with twenty years or more in academic physical therapy. They represent diverse geographic regions and diverse eduational backgrounds, as well as experience as clinical educators, academic educators, and academic administrators. After obtaining informed consent from each participant I conducted and audio taped interviews of approximately one hour in length with each of the four participants. The interviews were transcribed. I analyzed transcriptions looking for common as well as unique experiences the participants described. OBSERVATIONS: The participants' stories reveal a lack of support, both tangible and intangible, for their entry into the profession. Their stories suggest a lack of role models and mentors for development of an intentional career path as a practitioner or an academician. Their stories suggest an ill-informed entry into the academic arena that happened almost by chance, followed by a slow awakening to both the requirements and the possibilities of an academic career. Their stories hint at a scale that continues to be tipped in favor of men in the pursuit and completion of doctoral education and in subsequent work as physical therapy academicians. CONCLUSIONS: The suggestion of female disadvantage in physical therapy's history and as related by these women deserves and requires attention if physical therapy is to realize the potential of all of its members, and if physical therapy is to honor the women who still comprise the majority of its ranks. FUNDING SOURCE: none KEYWORDS: faculty, gender, female Copyright 2009 by the American Physical Therapy Association. Requests for reprints should be directed to the corresponding author of the article. Educators, students, and other academic customers may receive permission to reprint copyrighted material from Physical Therapy (ISSN 1538-6724) by contacting the Copyright Clearance Center Inc, 222 Rosewood Dr, Danvers, MA 01923. Other types of customers who want permission to reprint should contact the APTA Editorial Office, Attn: Physical Therapy.