Linguistic Analysis of Pediatric Residency Personal Statements: Gender Differences

Abstract

Background: All US residency programs require applicants to submit personal statements. Prior studies showed gender differences in personal statement writing, which has implications for gender bias in the application process, but previous studies have not considered the dual influence of specialty-specific values on personal statement writing by applicants of each gender. Objective: To understand gender differences in pediatric residency personal statements Methods: From 2017-2018, we performed linguistic analysis of personal statements written by interviewees at a mid-size US pediatrics residency during two prior academic years. We assessed writing tone, communal language, and agentic language. We performed t-tests to evaluate for gender differences, p<0.05. Results: We analyzed personal statements from 85 male and 85 female interviewees. Average word count was 676 words. Personal statements demonstrated analytic writing style with authentic and positive emotional tone. We found no gender differences in communal language for social affiliation (p=0.31), adjectives (p=0.49), or orientation (p=0.48), which deviates from typical gender norms for male language use. Males used agentic language of reward more frequently (p=0.02). Conclusions: Findings suggest that social language is valued in pediatrics, a predominantly female specialty, regardless of applicant gender. Use of reward language by males is consistent with previous findings. Future studies should evaluate gender differences in residency applications across specialties to advance understanding of the role gender plays in the application process.

Gender-Based Differences in Urology Residency Applicant Personal Statements

“…Interestingly, women applying to internal medicine and general surgery self-promoted by describing examples of team work and emphasizing the emotional and relational aspects of doctoring, while men tended to itemize their accomplishments and express an individual narrative, illustrating the subtle pervasiveness of gender expectations. 7 , 8 , 9 Similarly, our analysis shows that female medical students applying to urology used more social and affective-process words in their personal statements. By engaging in self-promotion through focusing on their relation to a team, women can appear competent while avoiding appearing immodest and contrary to expected gender norms.…”

“…However, this finding is not consistent across medical specialties. 7 , 8 , 9 Comparatively, clout scores were above average and approximately 15% higher among pediatric residency applicants. 9 …”

“…Conversely, residents entering pediatrics, a female-dominated specialty, showed equal amounts of communal language used by male and female applicants, again suggesting that personal statement language is partially dictated by the applicant's perception of specialty-specific values of behavior and speech. 9 …”

“…The majority of these studies have found differences between men and women's writing that play into gender stereotypes. 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 Previously, we found that letter of recommendations written for male urology residency applicants were written in a more authentic tone, and reference themes of drive, power and work more often than letters written for female applicants. 6 However, gender-based differences in personal statements of applicants to urology residency programs have not been studied.…”

Sex bias in letters of recommendation and personal statements for otolaryngology residency

“…Neither study utilized the linguistic analysis software used in this investigation that has become standard for similar analyses in recent years. Literature analyzing linguistic differences in applicant personal statements (PSs) is markedly limited; however, sex‐based differences have been noted in applications to urology, internal medicine, pediatrics, and general surgery that mirror gender stereotypes found in social psychology research 17–20 . To our knowledge, no publications to date have investigated sex‐based differences in PSs of applicants to otolaryngology residency.…”