Gender Disparities in Small Group Verbal Participation Among 1st Year Medical Students [9O

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Gender disparities exist for female clinicians today, from limits on upward mobility to unequal pay and more. In non-medical education, it has been shown that in-class verbal participation correlates with academic success. Research is lacking on whether verbal participation disparities exist during preclinical medical education, and if they do, what the significance of this may be for female trainees and the educational climate. METHODS: This descriptive cohort study explores the extent to which gender disparities exist at the level of preclinical medical education, using the proxy metric of verbal participation in class. We aimed to (1) quantify any gender disparities in verbal participation in medical school small work groups, and (2) to examine whether factors such as facilitator gender or facilitation style impact female verbal participation. We collected covert observational data over a 4-week period during a 1st year basic science course. Ten small work group sessions were observed and unique verbal participation events were counted by gender. Facilitator gender, gender composition of group, and inclusionary comments by facilitator were also recorded. RESULTS: Descriptive statistics analysis revealed an imbalance in average verbal participation events between males and females of >2:1, even when adjusted for group composition and facilitator gender. At least one instance of inclusive facilitation per session increased female participation, but did not close this gap. CONCLUSION: Participation disparities exist. More research is needed to explore implications, as well as interventions by which gender equality can be promoted in the small work group microcosm and beyond.