Medical students’ attitudes to gender issues in the role and career of physicians: a qualitative study conducted in Sweden

Abstract

There is an increasing awareness of the importance to address gender issues during medical studies. This qualitative study is aimed at exploring students’ attitudes to gender issues in the career of physicians, and identifying questions important to consider in medical education about gender. At Umeå University in Sweden, third-term medical students write an essay about ‘being a doctor’ and they also reflect on gender issues their future career. In 2002, the essays of 41 men and 63 women (75%) were analysed using open coding and repeated comparisons to elaborate categories. Four main attitudes towards gender were identified. Important and interesting (men 22%, women 63%), meaning gender was regarded as a crucial consideration in a physician's working life. Interested women expressed personal worries about their future, while interested men's reflections were more intellectually focused. Relevant with doubts (54%, 27%) represented a positive stand while simultaneously reducing the significance of gender. In Irrelevant and irritating (20%, 8%), gender was seen as over-talked and politics. Irritated students challenged the teachers and questioned gender as a field of scientific knowledge. Neglecting denoted avoidance of gender (5%, 3%). To avoid reinforcing stereotypical ideas about men and women, teachers and physicians need more knowledge about gender.Practice points•To establish gender as a field of scientific knowledge, it is important to define learning goals, time allocated, and examinations on gender in the curriculum.•To stimulate the interest of male students, examples and literature about gender aspects in men's lives should be included in the curriculum, parallel to gender aspects in women's lives.•To reduce negative and irritated reactions among students it is wise to highlight the risk for ‘male bashing’ and ‘women victimization’.•To show in practice that gender concerns both women and men implies involving both male and female teachers in the education.•To encourage teachers to learn about gender is a key question.