Gender Microaggressions During Virtual Residency Interviews and Impact on Ranking of Programs During the Residency Match

Abstract

Background: Microaggressions are one form of gender bias contributing to gender disparities and mistreatment, but their prevalence during virtual residency interviews has not been explored.

Objective: To explore applicants' recall of experiencing gender microaggressions during virtual residency interviews and whether these experiences affected programs' rank position on applicants' rank lists.

Methods: Fourth-year medical students at a single institution who participated in the 2021 Match were surveyed after submitting their rank lists. Students were surveyed categorically on (1) their recall of the frequency they experienced 17 gender microaggressions during interviews, and (2) how these affected reported ranking of programs on their rank lists.

Results: Sixty-one percent (103 of 170) of eligible students responded to the survey. Seventy-two percent (36 of 50) of women experienced at least one microaggression compared to 30% (9 of 30) of men. The largest difference was in the experience of environmental microaggressions, which are demeaning cues communicated individually or institutionally, delivered visually, or that refer to climate (P<.001). Women experienced more microaggressions than men in nonsurgical (P=.003) and surgical specialties excluding obstetrics and gynecology (P=.009). When microaggressions were experienced at 1 to 2 programs, 36% of applicants (26 of 73) reported significantly lowering program ranking, compared to 5% (1 of 19) when microaggressions occurred at more than 5 programs (P=.038).

Conclusions: Women applicants experience more microaggressions than men do during nonsurgical and male-dominated surgical specialty residency interviews. Respondents who recalled experiencing microaggressions at fewer programs were more likely to report significantly lowering the rank of those programs compared to those who experienced them at more programs.