scholarly journals Grey’s Anatomy: Gender Differences in Specialty Choice for Medical Students in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Shao ◽  
Tianyu Wang

Gender differences in sub-major choices within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have scarcely been discussed. This study uses administrative records from a top medical school in China to examine gender differences in medical students’ specialty choices. Results showed that, although the gender gap in choosing a clinical track shrinks over time, female students in the clinical track are far less likely to choose highly paid surgical specialties, and this gap persists over time. However, female students outperformed male students in all of the courses. Thus, academic performance cannot explain the underrepresentation of female students in surgery. We further collected questions such as “Why don’t female students choose surgical specialties” and answers to them in “Chinese Quora”, Zhihu.com. A preliminary text analysis showed that ultra-physical load, discrimination in recruitment, women-unfriendly work climates, and difficulties in taking care of family are barriers that prevent women from choosing surgery.

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1949-1949
Author(s):  
A. Firoozabadi ◽  

IntroductionAdorno and his colleagues made an attempt to describe the behavior of people in the pre-war era in Germany. Their research led to the introduction of F-scale which is used as a measurement for conservative and authoritarian attitudes.ObjectiveBy the use of F-scale, we tried to evaluate authoritarian traits in a group of Iranian medical students in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Socio-economic status of the present-day Iran is comparable to pre-war era in Germany.Method80 medical students (40 men and 40 women) in different years of education were randomly selected and evaluated by the questionnaire. By statistical analysis, authoritarian traits were compared between male and female students and also in different years of education (First year, 3rd year and internship).ResultsFemale students showed a higher score than the male students. Also, we found a trend for male students to become more authoritarian over time. For the female students an opposite trends was found.ConclusionThese results could be representative of different attitudes of male and female students toward authority related issues. Also, it could be in favor of different effects of education on authoritarian traits among the male and female.


10.2196/14666 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e14666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed H Abduljabbar ◽  
Sara F Alnajjar ◽  
Hussein Alshamrani ◽  
Lujain F Bashamakh ◽  
Hisham Z Alshehri ◽  
...  

Background Medical undergraduates are the future doctors of the country. Therefore, determining how medical students choose their areas of specialty is essential to obtain a balanced distribution of physicians among all specialties. Although gender is a significant factor that affects specialty choice, the factors underlying gender differences in radiology are not fully elucidated. Objective This study examined the factors that attracted medical students to and discouraged them from selecting diagnostic radiology and analyzed whether these factors differed between female and male medical students. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, used an electronic questionnaire sent to medical students from all medical years during February 2018. Subgroup analyses for gender and radiology interest were performed using the chi-square test and Cramér’s V test. Results In total, 539 students (276 women; 263 men) responded. The most common factor preventing students from choosing radiology as a career was the lack of direct patient contact, which deterred approximately 47% who decided against considering this specialty. Negative perceptions by other physicians (P<.001), lack of acknowledgment by patients (P=.004), and lack of structured radiology rotations (P=.007) dissuaded significantly more male students than female students. Among those interested in radiology, more female students were attracted by job flexibility (P=.01), while more male students were attracted by focused patient interactions with minimal paperwork (P<.001). Conclusions No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of considering radiology as a specialty. Misconception plays a central role in students’ judgment regarding radiology. Hence, early exposure to radiology, assuming a new teaching method, and using a curriculum that supports the active participation of students in a radiology rotation are needed to overcome this misconception.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Alina Kisiel ◽  
Sofia Kühner ◽  
Karin Stolare ◽  
Erik Lampa ◽  
Martin Wohlin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gender discrimination (GD) and sexual harassment (SH) occur at all academic institutions worldwide. Medical students seem particularly affected, which may negatively affect their education and health. There are indications that policies and reforms on reducing GD/SH are insufficient. Swedish medical students’ experiences of GD/SH are monitored by course-evaluations and bi-annual student union evaluations; however, the response rate is usually low. The aim of this study was to compare the exposure to and context of self-reported GD/SH over an 11-year period amongst medical students at a Swedish university. Methods In 2002, a questionnaire (n=622) was mailed to medical students’ home addresses. It was repeated in 2013 and then distributed during mandatory lectures (n=856). The questions used a behavioristic approach and asked about specific GH/SH experiences. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The changes in prevalence over time were calculated by sampling weights in order to obtain comparable estimates, representative of both cohorts. Results The response frequency was 55% (62% women) in 2002 and 81% (59% women) in 2013. The prevalence of GD tended to decrease for male and clinical students in comparison to female and pre-clinical peers. However, the prevalence of SH increased for female compared to male students. The ratio of SH for female pre-clinical students doubled in many instances; most often, the mistreatment occurred in the clinic. Medical doctors were indicated as perpetrators up to five times more often by all students in 2013. Conclusion Our results show a disproportional change in exposure to GD/SH between female and male medical students, resulting in a widening of the gender gap regarding prevalence of GD and SH between 2002 and 2013. In particular, personal experiences of SH increased for both sexes. It is proof that institutional efforts to fight mistreatment might be ineffective.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Saad Ahmed Ali Jadoo ◽  
Ilker Dastan ◽  
Ammar Adnan Jawdat

Background: Turkey has a marked increase in the proportion of female medical students and graduates doctors compared to males. However, females are still underrepresented in some disciplines and grouped in other branches of medicine. It is essential to regularly assess the medical students' trends toward the specialty and avoid the shortage and maldistribution in some critical specialties. This study aims to investigate the gender differences in Turkish medical students’ specialty preferences and influencing factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among final year students at the Bezmialem Vakif University (BVU), Faculty of Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey. Data collected from March to April 2018 using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics of the population, first choices for specialization, and the factors influencing those choices. An independent sample t-test performed to test the gender differences in different influencing factors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results:  A total of seventy (70) students (response rate of 69.5 %) included in the data analysis. The mean age of total respondents was 24.9 ± 0.96 (ranged 23-27), and the male to female ratio of students was approximately 1:1.4. Out of nineteen (19) factors, statistically significant gender differences noted in the mean scores of six factors. Male students were more influenced by family expectations (2.76 ± 0.87, p=0.008), geographical consideration (2.97 ± 0.91, p=0.053), and high income expectations (2.90 ± 0.90, p=0.024) compared to female students. However, female students were more influenced by personal interests (3.61 ± 0.49, p=0.041), personality characteristics (3.59 ± 0.55, p=0.010) and malpractice (2.73 ± 1.03, p=0.015) compared to male students. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the sexes in terms of priorities; family, income, and geographical distribution significantly impacted on men, while women were more concerned with lifestyle, well-being and avoiding responsibility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta A. Kisiel ◽  
Sofia Kühner ◽  
Karin Stolare ◽  
Erik Lampa ◽  
Martin Wohlin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Gender discrimination (GD) and sexual harassment (SH) occur at all academic institutions worldwide. Medical students report high prevalence of GD and SH, which may negatively affect their education and health. There are indications that policies and reforms on reducing GD/SH are insufficient. Swedish medical students’ experiences of GD/SH are monitored by course-evaluations and bi-annual student union evaluations; however, the response rate is usually low. The aim of this study was to compare the exposure to and context of self-reported GD/SH over an 11-year period amongst medical students at a Swedish university. Methods In 2002, a questionnaire (n = 622) was mailed to medical students’ home addresses. It was repeated in 2013 and then distributed during mandatory lectures (n = 856). The questions used a behavioristic approach and asked about specific GH/SH experiences. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The changes in prevalence over time were calculated by sampling weights in order to obtain comparable estimates, representative of both cohorts. Results The response frequency was 55% (62% women) in 2002 and 81% (59% women) in 2013. The prevalence of GD tended to decrease for male and clinical students in comparison to female and pre-clinical peers. However, the prevalence of SH increased for female compared to male students. The ratio of SH for female pre-clinical students doubled in many instances; most often, the mistreatment occurred in the clinic. Medical doctors were indicated as perpetrators up to five times more often by all students in 2013. Conclusion Our results show a disproportional change in exposure to GD/SH between female and male medical students, resulting in a widening of the gender gap regarding prevalence of GD and SH between 2002 and 2013. In particular, personal experiences of SH increased for both sexes. It is proof that institutional efforts to fight mistreatment might be ineffective.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Alina Kisiel ◽  
Sofia Kühner ◽  
Karin Stolare ◽  
Erik Lampa ◽  
Martin Wohlin ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundGender discrimination (GD) and sexual harassment (SH) occur at all academic institutions worldwide. Medical students seem particularly affected, which may negatively affect their education and health. There are indications that policies and reforms on reducing GD/SH are insufficient. Swedish medical students’ experiences of GD/SH are monitored by course-evaluations and bi-annual student union evaluations; however, the response rate is usually low. The aim of this study was to compare the exposure to and context of self-reported GD/SH over an 11-year period amongst medical students at a Swedish university.MethodsIn 2002, a questionnaire (n=622) was mailed to medical students’ home addresses. It was repeated in 2013 and then distributed during mandatory lectures (n=856). The questions used a behavioristic approach and asked about specific GH/SH experiences. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The changes in prevalence over time were calculated by sampling weights in order to obtain comparable estimates, representative of both cohorts.ResultsThe response frequency was 55% (62% women) in 2002 and 81% (59% women) in 2013. The prevalence of GD tended to decrease for male and clinical students in comparison to female and pre-clinical peers. However, the prevalence of SH increased for female compared to male students. The ratio of SH for female pre-clinical students doubled in many instances; most often, the mistreatment occurred in the clinic. Medical doctors were indicated as perpetrators up to five times more often by all students in 2013.ConclusionOur results show a disproportional change in exposure to GD/SH between female and male medical students, resulting in a widening of the gender gap regarding prevalence of GD and SH between 2002 and 2013. In particular, personal experiences of SH increased for both sexes. It is proof that institutional efforts to fight mistreatment might be ineffective.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed H Abduljabbar ◽  
Sara F Alnajjar ◽  
Hussein Alshamrani ◽  
Lujain F Bashamakh ◽  
Hisham Z Alshehri ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Medical undergraduates are the future doctors of the country. Therefore, determining how medical students choose their areas of specialty is essential to obtain a balanced distribution of physicians among all specialties. Although gender is a significant factor that affects specialty choice, the factors underlying gender differences in radiology are not fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE This study examined the factors that attracted medical students to and discouraged them from selecting diagnostic radiology and analyzed whether these factors differed between female and male medical students. METHODS This cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, used an electronic questionnaire sent to medical students from all medical years during February 2018. Subgroup analyses for gender and radiology interest were performed using the chi-square test and Cramér’s V test. RESULTS In total, 539 students (276 women; 263 men) responded. The most common factor preventing students from choosing radiology as a career was the lack of direct patient contact, which deterred approximately 47% who decided against considering this specialty. Negative perceptions by other physicians (<i>P</i>&lt;.001), lack of acknowledgment by patients (<i>P</i>=.004), and lack of structured radiology rotations (<i>P</i>=.007) dissuaded significantly more male students than female students. Among those interested in radiology, more female students were attracted by job flexibility (<i>P</i>=.01), while more male students were attracted by focused patient interactions with minimal paperwork (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). CONCLUSIONS No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of considering radiology as a specialty. Misconception plays a central role in students’ judgment regarding radiology. Hence, early exposure to radiology, assuming a new teaching method, and using a curriculum that supports the active participation of students in a radiology rotation are needed to overcome this misconception.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
AYOTUNDE Adetola ADELAJA

Abstract Past studies on gender differences in entrepreneurship at higher education levels are predominantly based on survey approaches. Thus creating several mix-evidences with the majority of these studies showing that male intention towards entrepreneurship to be higher than the female counterpart. This research uses a pair-wise experimental approach to examine gender differences in entrepreneurial intention before and after exposure to entrepreneurial education in the six federal universities in south-western Nigeria. The findings indicate that male students demonstrated higher intention before exposure to entrepreneurial education, while female students exhibited the opposite intention. However, after exposure to entrepreneurship education, female students exhibited stronger entrepreneurial intentions compared to their male counterparts. Despite this, no statistical difference was observed between male and female intentions. Yet, when both results were combined to give a composite picture, there was a decrease in the overall entrepreneurial intention for both genders. More so, an in-depth interview with some of the respondents reveals that male students attend an entrepreneurial education course for the sake of it being a compulsory course while female students have the notion that with entrepreneurial education, they have the chance of developing back-up plans if the marriage fails or they are unemployed. This unexpected result indicated the unintended effect entrepreneurial education in south-western Nigeria was having on the gender gap in entrepreneurial intention and its overall outcomes in practical terms. The research concludes that entrepreneurial education curricula in Nigerian universities, especially those in the southwest, need to be reviewed to capture gender sensitivity in entrepreneurial intentions before and after graduation from entrepreneurship programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanhua Yin ◽  
Liu Yang ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Difan Zheng ◽  
Michael S. Wilkes ◽  
...  

Background: Gender plays a significant role in the selection of medical specialty. Few studies have been conducted to explore the impact of gender differences on specialty choosing among Chinese medical students.Methods: The specialty choices of 648 students from six consecutive classes in an 8-year MD program were collected and compared between male and female students. A total of 110 students from one graduating class were surveyed by a questionnaire covering 22 career influencing factors. Each factor has a scale of zero to three (zero = no influence, one = mild influence, two = moderate influence, and three = strong influence).Results: Statistically significant gender differences were observed in 10 out of 16 specialties. Most male students limited their specialty choices to surgery (64%), internal medicine (12%), and orthopedics (12%), compared with a relatively diversified pattern in female students. For male students, the top three influencing factors were personal interest, future job prospects for the chosen specialty, and job opportunity in academic medicine. The strongest influencing factors of females were personal interest, specialty-specific knowledge and skills, and the sense of achievement. The expected salary was ranked among the top 10 influencing factors in male but not in females, while the work-life balance was ranked among the top 10 factors in females but not in males.Conclusion: There is a significant gender difference regarding specialty choices among Chinese medical students. Career coaching is needed to help students in their specialty choosing process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-52
Author(s):  
Ryzal Perdana ◽  
◽  
◽  

Abstract Critical and creative thinking skills are an essential attribute for success in the 21st century. This study aimed to determine the students’ critical and creative thinking skills in the Islamic senior high schools of Surakarta City so that teachers can pay attention to the strength and weakness of each student based on gender differences. This study used descriptive qualitative analysis. The subject of this study amounted to 180 students consisting of 80 male and 100 female students. The measurement of critical-thinking skills used a 6-essay-question instrument of the chemical material of electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutions that measures the aspects based on Facione theory, namely: analysis, inference, explanation, interpretation, evaluation, and self-regulation. Then, to measure creative-thinking skills, a 4-essay-question test instrument of the chemical material that includes 4 aspects according to Torrance, fluency, flexibility, original and elaboration, was used. The results showed that the creative-thinking skills of male students are better than those of female students and the critical-thinking skills of female students are better than those of male students.


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