This paper aims to analyse and assess the role of female physicians in the public health system of the SSA (the Secretary of Health) in Mexico DF. Female participation and career development are influenced by personal and family circumstances, medical training and SSA structures. In addition, a sense of place and identification with a place is a powerful force affecting female physicians' work within the SSA and Mexico DF. Finally, the implications for the future, both for female physicians and the health system, will be discussed. Data for this study were obtained from SSA statistical records, questionnaires and in-depth interviews with a sample of female doctors. Fieldwork was carried out in Mexico DF in 1992 and 1993.