Investigating Gender Differences in Faculty Evaluations by Trainees in a Gender-Balanced General Surgery Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Residency Programs
• Gender Studies in Medicine

Background:

• Women comprise only 21% of general surgery faculty nationally.
• Lower female representation in medical fields often correlates with lower trainee evaluation scores for female faculty.
• This study examines a general surgery program with 42% female faculty, exceeding the national average.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if faculty evaluations differ by gender in a more gender-balanced general surgery residency program.
• To determine if a higher proportion of female faculty impacts trainee perceptions compared to male faculty.
• To assess gender-based variations in specific evaluation domains within surgical education.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 3,277 resident evaluations of 26 general surgery faculty (11 female, 15 male) over two years.
• Evaluations covered seven domains, scored 1-7.
• Statistical analysis included chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression to compare gender-based scores, adjusting for encounter frequency.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in overall evaluation scores or in 'practice-based learning' and 'interpersonal skills' between male and female faculty.
• Female faculty received higher scores in 'patient care,' 'professionalism,' and 'systems-based care.'
• Male faculty received higher scores in 'medical knowledge.'

Conclusions:

• A gender-balanced faculty in general surgery residency did not show overall gender-based differences in resident evaluations.
• Specific evaluation domains exhibited gender-based variations, indicating nuanced differences in perceived performance.
• Findings suggest that achieving gender balance in faculty may mitigate evaluation biases previously observed in male-dominated surgical fields.