Gender-based education during clerkships: a focus group study

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of the focus groups (n=23)

Mean age in years (± SD)	23.9 (1.6)
Gender	Male (48%)	Female (52%)
Type of clinical clerkship hospital	Academic (52%)	General (48%)
Phase of study	Finished internal medicine (39%)	Finished surgical clerkship (61%)

Abbreviations: n, number; SD, standard deviation.

Table 2 Situations identified by the students in which the clinical teacher pointed to gender differences

“We talked about the risk factors for cholelithiasis (four Fs) in women.”

“My clinical teacher told me that irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia have a higher incidence in women.”

“During my clerkship at the cardiology department, they told me something about the atypical presentation of women with a myocardial infarction.”

“At the oncology department, we talked about different chemotherapy treatments and scalp hypothermia to prevent hair loss in women.”

“At the surgery department, I saw a man with gynecomastia. We talked about compensation differences for breast reduction surgery in men and women by health insurance providers.”

“In the operation room, we talked about incision techniques in abdominal surgery. Cosmetics is more important in women than in men.”

“An orthopedist told me to be alert to knee complaints in young women, as these complaints are often stress-related without underlying diseases.”

“Different differential diagnosis in women with abdominal pain and suspected appendicitis.”

“My clinical teachers discussed a gender difference in patients with aneurysm. Women have a four times higher risk of rupture than men with the same aneurysm diameter.”

“One of the surgeons told me that obese women are easier to operate on than obese men because men are more likely to have adipose tissue around their internal organs.”

Table S1 Focus group interview guidebook

Can you mention a situation in which your teacher discussed gender differences?

Can you imagine a situation in which the teacher paid no attention to gender differences, but where it would have been important to do so?

Do you think it is important to be aware of gender differences in sickness and health? Explain.

Do you believe that your clinical teacher has enough knowledge of gender differences? Explain.

Do you think the type of clerkship hospital, clinical teacher, or specialty matters to the degree of attention that is being paid to gender differences?

Do you currently have sufficient competencies to become a gender-sensitive doctor?