Gender Disparities in Medical Student Surgical Skills Education

Abstract

Objective: Female medical students and surgical trainees are more likely to lack confidence in their clinical abilities than their male peers despite equal or superior performance. This study aims to examine the role of gender in medical student experience and confidence performing technical skills in surgical clerkship.

Design: This was a single-center survey study conducted over 2 academic years (2016-2018). Students were surveyed on their experience and confidence performing a set of 9 technical skills during surgical clerkship and to identify skill-specific barriers to learning.

Setting: This study was performed at Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Participants: All third-year medical students were invited to participate.

Results: A total of 253 students participated yielding a survey response rate of 74.0%. Both male and female students reported similar levels of preclerkship interest in a surgical career, enjoyment in performing technical skills, confidence in ability to learn surgical skills and pursuit of available learning opportunities. At the conclusion of their surgical rotations, female students reported less experience and confidence performing technical skills compared to their male colleagues. Female students were more likely to cite an insufficient number of learning opportunities from consultant and resident teachers, time constraints, and lack of confidence as barriers to the achievement of technical proficiency.

Conclusions: Female gender was associated with less procedural experience and inferior confidence performing procedural skills. It is important for educators to be aware of this gender disparity and to actively promote equitable learning opportunities for female trainees.

Keywords: Confidence; Gender; surgical education; technical skills training.