Gender differences in relationships and stress of medical and law students

A small-scale, comparative study of medical and law students was undertaken at a large, southern state university to examine the sources and consequences of stress during professional training. Specifically, the impact of stress on personal relationships was explored. The authors of the study reported here found gender differences in the source and degree of stress perceived by students. Women reported significantly more stress than men. Unlike the men, women found sexism and difficulties with partners to be particular sources of stress. Although both men and women reported that the stress of their professional training had resulted in strained personal relationships, proportionately more women than men stated that their personal relationships had ended.