PERCEPTIONS OF THE GENDER IN CLINICAL TRAINING – A QUALITATIVE STUDY AMONG STUDENTS
M.T. Bartual-Figueras1, M. Cabré-Pairet2, S. Ginés-Padrós1, M. López-Bartual3, M.C. Riera-Prunera1, D. Rodríguez-Martín1, L. Romero-Gutiérrez4
Gender bias in medicine has been widely recognized as a significant determinant of health and illness. However, its impact on the daily practice of medicine is often underestimated. Research highlights that the biomedical focus medical training curricula is a major contributing factor to the gender bias observed among healthcare professionals.
This study employed a descriptive qualitative design and purposive sampling to recruit and interview 19 medical students (14 women and 5 men) from the University of Barcelona and the University of Cantabria (Spain). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded and categorized into thematic areas.
The findings revealed three key themes:
1. Lack of knowledge and training in gender issues.
2. Desired training content, such as understanding sex and gender differences across various clinical areas and learning to provide gender-sensitive care.
3. Gender-stereotyped thinking about male and female patients.
In conclusion, this study underscores the need gender-based training programs in medical studies. Enhancing the gender perspective in medical education could enable these professionals to deliver gender-sensitive care, thereby contributing to greater equity and equality in health services.
Consequently, integrating gender perspectives into medical education curricula is proposed as a qualitative investment to address this issue effectively.
Keywords: Gender Sensitivity, Health Science, Higher Education.