Support groups for women in medical school: a first-year program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Sociology of Professions

Background:

• First-year women medical students face unique role conflicts entering a male-dominated field.
• Navigating professional and female identity development presents challenges for minority women in medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a workable model for a support system for first-year women medical students.
• To describe factors influencing conflict resolution and identity acquisition.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a faculty-led support group.

Main Methods:

• Weekly small group meetings between first-year women medical students and women faculty from Psychiatry.
• Exploration of personal and institutional factors impacting students.
• Group process observation and year-end evaluation.

Main Results:

• The program provided a needed and constructive setting for students.
• Students and faculty reported the development of close, supportive relationships.
• The system facilitated exploration of professional and female identities.

Conclusions:

• The implemented support system model is effective for addressing the needs of women medical students.
• Peer and faculty support is crucial for navigating role conflicts and identity formation in medical training.
• This model can be adapted to other institutions seeking to support women in medicine.