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. 2022 Aug;27(3):893-913.
doi: 10.1007/s10459-022-10108-8. Epub 2022 Apr 7.

Ova-looking feminist theory: a call for consideration within health professions education and research

G M Finn  1 , M E L Brown  2
Affiliations

Ova-looking feminist theory: a call for consideration within health professions education and research

G M Finn et al. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

The role of feminist theory in health professions education is often 'ova-looked'. Gender is one cause of healthcare inequalities within contemporary medicine. Shockingly, according to the World Health Organisation, no European member state has achieved full gender equity in regard to health outcomes. Further, contemporary curricula have not evolved to reflect the realities of a diverse society that remains riddled with inequity. This paper outlines the history of feminist theory, and applies it to health professions education research and teaching, in order to advocate for its continued relevance within contemporary healthcare.

Keywords: Curriculum; Education; Feminism; Gender; Health inequalities; Health professions; Research.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Timeline of the feminist movement (Leavy and Harris, 2018). *N.B. Interpretations of post-feminism (post-third wave feminism) and fourth wave differ
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
An overview of the feminist approaches identified as relevant to health professions education in Sharma’s (2019) scoping review
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Examples of future research and areas of curriculum development within health professions education which could be considered through an intersectional lens
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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