Gender-based education during clerkships: a focus group study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Gender Studies
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Medical education aims to train gender-sensitive doctors applying knowledge of gender differences.
• Integrating gender medicine into the medical curriculum is crucial for equitable healthcare.
• Student perspectives offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of current medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the extent to which gender medicine is integrated into daily clinical practice during medical clerkships, from the students' viewpoint.
• To identify student perceptions regarding the teaching and application of gender differences in medicine during their clinical training.
• To assess students' self-perceived competency in becoming gender-sensitive doctors based on their clerkship experiences.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative focus group study was conducted with 29 medical students at Radboud University.
• Participants had recently completed internal medicine or surgical clerkships.
• Data analysis employed constant comparative analysis principles for thematic identification.

Main Results:

• Four focus groups revealed that clinical teachers seldom discuss gender differences during student clerkships.
• Students identified three key themes explaining this: insufficient knowledge, unawareness of gender issues, and perceived minor impact of gender differences.
• Consequently, students reported feeling inadequately equipped with the competencies needed to practice as gender-sensitive doctors.

Conclusions:

• Medical students perceive limited exposure to gender-based education following core clinical clerkships.
• All participating students expressed a lack of sufficient knowledge to become gender-sensitive physicians.
• Students believe clinical teachers possess inadequate knowledge and awareness of gender differences, viewing gender as a low-priority issue.