Gender-based disparities in self-reported procedural experience: a cross-sectional survey of medical students in...

Procedural competency is fundamental to medical education, yet emerging evidence suggests gender-based inequities in hands-on training persist even in female-majority learning environments.

To investigate and quantify gender-based disparities in self-reported theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience with core medical procedures among medical trainees in Poland.

A nationwide cross-sectional survey was administered to 720 fifth- and sixth-year medical students and junior doctors. The anonymous online questionnaire assessed theoretical coverage and practical experience (categorized as "never performed", "performed 1-2 times", or "performed 3 or more times") for 18 standardized procedures. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression to identify factors associated with the number of unperformed procedures.

The cohort was 70.3% female. Self-reported theoretical knowledge was comparable between genders for 17 of 18 procedures. However, significant disparities emerged in practical experience, with male trainees reporting greater hands-on experience in male urinary catheterization (p < 0.001), endotracheal intubation (p < 0.001), surgical wound suturing (p = 0.044), and active surgical assistance (p = 0.019). The median number of procedures never performed was significantly higher among women than men (11.0 vs. 10.0; p = 0.013). However, in negative binomial regression, gender was not a statistically significant predictor of total unperformed procedures after controlling for planned specialization and other factors.

Despite constituting a supermajority of Polish medical trainees, women report a significant "experience gap" in key procedural skills that cannot be attributed to deficits in theoretical knowledge. This finding suggests that systemic factors within clinical learning environments, rather than numerical representation, drive inequitable training opportunities. These disparities may impact confidence and influence career trajectories, highlighting the need for structured competency-based curricula and targeted interventions to ensure equitable skill acquisition for all trainees.