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Surgery--still an "old boys' club"?
K D Lillemoe1, G M Ahrendt, C J Yeo
1Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Md.
Surgery
|August 1, 1994
Summary
Female medical students perceive significant gender bias in surgical fields, with many feeling out of place during rotations. This perception may deter women from pursuing surgical careers, highlighting a need for a more inclusive environment.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Residency
- Gender Studies in Medicine
Background:
- Disparity in surgical residency representation: over 40% of first-year medical students are female, yet less than 20% enter surgical residencies.
- Potential contributing factor: perceived unfavorable surgical environment during medical school clinical clerkships for female students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess medical students' career choices and perceptions of specialty attitudes toward gender.
- To investigate the influence of clinical rotation experiences on specialty selection.
- To identify gender-based disparities in the perception of surgical environments.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 105 graduating medical students at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
- Assessed factors included career choice, influences on specialty selection, perceived gender bias, and clinical rotation experiences.
Main Results:
- Significantly fewer women (13%) chose surgery compared to men (34%).
- A vast majority of women (87%) perceived specialties as unfavorable toward their gender, compared to 21% of men.
- 96% of women perceived surgery as unfavorable, with 50% feeling out of place on clinical services, predominantly in surgery.
Conclusions:
- Female medical students report experiencing gender bias within surgical services.
- The findings suggest a persistent "old boys' club" mentality in surgery may contribute to the underrepresentation of women.