The Effect of Gender on the Clinical Clerkship Experiences of Female Medical Students: Results From a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Despite increased numbers of women in medicine, issues of gender continue to have a substantial impact on the medical education of female students. Institutions can design interventions about gender issues in medicine that expand beyond a focus on sexual harassment to address the complex ways in which students are affected by issues of gender.

Emotional learning of undergraduate medical students in an early nursing attachment in a hospital or nursing home

“…The interpretation of concrete experiences may be influenced by students' prior experiences and expectations. This was suggested to differ greatly for male and female students during their transition into the clinical curriculum (Babaria et al 2009). For younger students, this transition might be more stressful than for their more mature colleagues (Shacklady et al 2009).…”

Does Psychological Safety Impact the Clinical Learning Environment for Resident Physicians? Results From the VA's Learners' Perceptions Survey

“…Our finding that men report greater PS is consistent with women reporting greater anxiety, less self-confidence, and more apprehension to communicate with their supervising physicians. 37,38 More research is needed to understand where boundaries lie between safety and harm when residents ask for help. For instance, attending physicians describe ''strong'' residents as being able to handle heavy workloads without supervision.…”

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).…”

“…Irrespective of where students study medicine, it is likely that during their clerkships, which, for many might be their first immersion in the medical 'culture', they will surely find themselves in an environment in which 'gender' is part of almost every facet of their clinical work, from their relationship with nurses and doctors to their interactions with patients. It is well documented, for example, that females may not choose a surgery specialization, due, in part, to their experiences as students in a discipline that is under male control (Salter 2007;Drinkwater et al 2008;Babaria et al 2009Babaria et al , 2011Wildschut 2010). Similarly, in obstetrics and gynecology (O&G), the increasing number of women refusing to be examined by male students and physicians is often cited as a reason for this specialty becoming almost exclusively serviced by female physicians (Magrane et al 1994(Magrane et al , 1996Ching et al 2000;Grasby and Quinlivan 2001;O'Flynn and Rymer 2002;Higham and Steer 2004;Hamilton 2006;Salter 2007;Wildschut 2010).…”