Perceptions of final-year medical students towards the impact of gender on their training and future practice

Abstract

IntroductionFollowing policy implementations to redress previous racial and gender discrepancies, this study explored how gender impacted on the clinical experiences of final-year medical students during their undergraduate training. It also gathered their perceptions and expectations for the future.MethodsThis cross-sectional, mixed-method study used a purposive sampling method to collect data from the participants (n=94). Each respondent was interviewed by two members of the research team. The quantitative data were entered into Excel and analyzed descriptively. The qualitative data were transcribed and thematically analyzed.ResultsThe majority of the respondents still perceived clinical practice as male dominated. All respondents agreed that females faced more obstacles in clinical practice than males. This included resistance from some patients, poor mentoring in some disciplines, and less support from hostile nurses. They feared for their personal safety and experienced gender-based stereotyping regarding their competency. Males thought that feminization of the profession may limit their residency choices, and they reported obstacles when conducting intimate examinations and consultations on female patients. Both males and females expressed desire for more normalized work hours to maintain personal relationships.ConclusionSocial redress policies have done much to increase equal access for females to medical schools. Cultural values and attitudes from mentors, peers, and patients still impact on the quality of their clinical experiences and therefore also their decisions regarding future clinical practice. More mentoring and education may help to address some of the perceived obstacles.

Students perspective on the impact of gender on medical training and future practice

“…What is particularly noteworthy, however, is that we found that our gender, and status as a medical student, was the biggest contributor to a female patient’s reluctance to having a male student examine them, especially during our OBG rotation. This is in contrast to the study’s findings that the male student’s age was a greater influence than their gender on a patient’s decision 1. This difference from our experience may be due to cultural beliefs held in countries like South Africa, where this study was conducted, in comparison to the UK.…”

“…We agree with the findings of the study that there are obstacles to males performing intimate examinations, and even consultations, on female patients 1. This especially holds true in a multicultural city like London, where many different social, religious, and cultural beliefs exist.…”

“…We read with great interest the study by Van Wyk et al1 which explores the beliefs and opinions held by final-year medical students on the impact of gender on their training and the medical profession they were about to enter. As fifth year medical students ourselves, studying at Imperial College London, UK, this was a study we could strongly relate to and as such, we were particularly impressed by some of the findings.…”

Male and Female Emirati Medical Clerks’ Perceptions of the Impact of Gender and Mobility on Their Professional Careers

“…This so-called 'feminization' of the medical profession has been well documented in the UK, Europe and North America, where females account for more than 50% of medical school intakes and practicing physicians (Paik 2000;Searle 2001;Sibbald 2002;Van der Reis 2004;Levinson and Lurie 2004;Reichenbach and Brown 2004;Allen 2005;Heru 2005;Kilminster et al 2007;Dacre 2008;McKinstry 2008;Riska 2008;Drinkwater et al 2008;Maiorova et al 2008;Phillips and Austin 2009;Babaria et al 2009;Weizblit et al 2009;Roskovensky et al 2012;Bleakley 2013;Mudaly and van Wyk 2015;Van Wyk et al 2016). Although much less has been reported in developing countries, this trend appears similar (Al-Jarallah and Moussa 2003; National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES); Wildschut 2006, 2008;Mudaly and van Wyk 2015;Van Wyk et al 2016). In Kuwait, for example, female medical post-graduates have outnumbered males since 1993 (Al-Jarallah and Moussa 2003) and in Mexico since 1999 (National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions ANUIES).…”

“…The implication of this increased female medical workforce has been widely discussed (Searle 2001;Levinson and Lurie 2004;Allen 2005;Heru 2005;Kilminster et al 2007;Riska 2008;Riska and Novelskaite 2008;Dacre 2008;McKinstry 2008;Maiorova et al 2008;Weizblit et al 2009;Mudaly and van Wyk 2015;Van Wyk et al 2016). Riska (2008) contends that using the term 'feminization' to describe an increasingly female medical workforce embodies "predictions about qualitative changes in the practice of medicine" (p. 3).…”