Exploring Academic Performance of Medical Students in an Integrated Hybrid Curriculum by Gender

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Academic Performance
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender gaps in academic performance are documented in medical education.
• These disparities may affect medical school admissions and residency placements.
• Curricular design could influence observed gender-based performance differences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze gender-based academic performance trends within a 4-year integrated hybrid medical curriculum.
• To investigate the impact of active learning components on performance gaps.
• To compare early-career performance with later-stage and national standardized exam results.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal analysis of student performance data over four academic years.
• Evaluation of assessment scores from internal curriculum evaluations.
• Comparison of performance on national standardized medical examinations.

Main Results:

• Men demonstrated higher scores early in the curriculum and on the first national standardized exam.
• The performance gap between men and women diminished substantially in years 2-4.
• The gender gap was nearly absent on the second national standardized exam.

Conclusions:

• Integrated hybrid curricula with active learning may mitigate early gender-based academic performance gaps.
• Performance trends suggest that curriculum structure can influence gender disparities in medical education.
• Further research into pedagogical strategies is warranted to ensure equitable outcomes.