Gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical education: Perspectives gained by a 14-school study
Education & Educational Research; Health Care Sciences & Services
Purpose. The authors attempted to determine male and female medical students' exposures to and perceptions of gender discrimination and sexual harassment (GD/SH) in selected academic and nonacademic contexts. Method. An anonymous, self-report questionnaire was administered in the spring of 1997 to senior medical students at 14 U.S. medical schools. Data were collected about students' exposures to GD/SH during undergraduate medical education and outside the medical training environment. Students' perceptions of GD/SH in various medical specialties and practice settings were also measured. Results. Of the 1,911 questionnaires administered, 1,314 were completed (response rate, 69%). Both men and women reported exposures to GD/SH. More women than men reported all types of exposures to GD/SH across all academic and nonacademic contexts. Differences between men and women in the frequencies of exposures were greatest outside the medical training environment (t=15.67, df=1171, pless than or equal to.001). Within academic medical training contexts, the differences by sex were most evident in core clerkships (t=11.17, df=11.17, pless than or equal to.001). Women students perceived the prevalence of GD/SH to be significantly (pless than or equal to.001) higher in a number of medical specialties than did men. However, both groups believed these behaviors to be most common in general surgery and obstetrics-gynecology. Women perceived significantly more GD/SH in academic medical centers and community hospitals. Both groups perceived these behaviors to be significantly more prevalent in academic medical centers than in community hospitals, and more prevalent in community hospitals than in outpatient office settings. Conclusions. This study suggests that mistreatment in the form of GD/SH is prevalent in undergraduate medical education, particularly within core clerkships. Interventions focused on particular specialties and training periods may be helpful.
Nora L M; McLaughlin M A; Fosson S E; Stratton T D; Murphy-Spencer A; Fincher R M E; German D C; Seiden D; Witzke D B
Academic Medicine
2002
2002-12
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200212000-00018" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1097/00001888-200212000-00018</a>
Does students' exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical school affect specialty choice and residency program selection?
abuse; clinical-experiences; consequences; education; Education & Educational Research; Health Care Sciences & Services; impact; mistreatment; perceptions; perspectives; Surgery; women
Purpose To examine the role of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in medical students' choice of specialty and residency program. Method Anonymous, self-administered questionnaires were distributed in 1997 to fourth-year students enrolled in 14 public and private U.S. medical schools. In addition to reporting the frequency of gender discrimination and sexual harassment encountered during preclinical coursework, core clerkships, elective clerkships, and residency selection, students assessed the impact of these exposures (none, a little, some, quite a bit, the deciding factor) on their specialty choices and rankings of residency programs. Results A total of 1,314 (69%) useable questionnaires were returned. Large percentages of men (83.2%) and women (92.8%) experienced, observed, or heard about at least one incident of gender discrimination and sexual harassment during medical school, although more women reported such behavior across all training contexts. Compared with men, significantly (p :<= .01) more women who reported exposure indicated that gender discrimination and sexual harassment influenced their specialty choices (45.3% versus 16.4%) and residency rankings (25.3% versus 10.9%). Across all specialties, more women than men experienced gender discrimination and sexual harassment during residency selection, with one exception: a larger percentage of men choosing obstetrics and gynecology experienced such behavior. Among women, those choosing general surgery were most likely to experience gender discrimination and sexual harassment during residency selection. Interestingly, correlations between exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment and self-assessed impact on career decisions tended to be larger for men, suggesting that although fewer men are generally affected, they may weigh such experiences more heavily in their choice of specialty and residency program. Conclusion This study suggests that exposure to gender discrimination and sexual harassment during undergraduate education may influence some medical students' choice of specialty and, to a lesser degree, ranking of residency programs.
Stratton T D; McLaughlin M A; Witte F M; Fosson S E; Nora L M
Academic Medicine
2005
2005-04
Journal Article
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200504000-00020" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1097/00001888-200504000-00020</a>