54. GENDER GAPS IN THE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: HOW DOES GENDER AFFECT EVALUATIONS?

Abstract

Background The emergency medicine literature reports a gender gap in milestone attainment. While residents receive similar evaluations at the start of residency, throughout training male residents receive milestone attainment at a faster rate across all EM competencies leading to a gender gap that continues until graduation. The field of both pediatrics and pediatric EM data shows that a higher percentage of female trainees and attendings are entering the specialty each year. Our study objectives were to test for gender differences in evaluations from both the learner and the evaluator and examine differences in scores between same and opposite gender evaluator-resident pairings. Methods Pediatric residents were assessed every month that they rotated through the Pediatric Emergency Department. Evaluations assessed 8 different competencies: procedural competency (PC), prioritizing and multitasking (PC2), management plans (PC5), medical knowledge (MK), physician accountability (PROF2), reliability (PROF5), handling uncertainty in medicine (PROF6), and interdisciplinary teamwork (SBP3). Statistical comparisons of each category were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test at the 5% level. Results Total evaluations included 69 male and 94 female resident rotations performed by 64 male and 99 female evaluators. Female residents scored higher than male residents on PROF5 and SBP3 and PROF6. Female evaluators scored residents higher in the areas of PROF2 and PROF6. Scores from same sex pairings (92) were higher than different sex (71) pairings for PROF2, PROF6 and SBP3. Also, female evaluators scored female residents higher than male residents on PROF2, PROF6 and SBP3 while male evaluators showed no difference. Conclusion Both the gender of evaluator and gender of resident impact evaluation scores in the areas of PROF2, PROF5, PROF6 and SBP3. This study doesn't address the longitudinal gender gap previously reported but would suggest that, in pediatrics, female residents are evaluated with higher milestone competencies. Additional data collection and analyses will further understanding of the effect gender has on resident evaluations, and drive change towards gender-equal resident competency evaluation.