Limiting gender bias in medicine by improving student knowledge and attitudes

Abstract

Background: There are gender disparities for women in medicine, with poorer health outcomes and decreased representation in the physician workforce. While many solutions have been proposed, the unconscious bias that perpetuates these disparities is hard to change. In this study, we examined the impact of an educational intervention focused on the history of women’s rights in the United States, on students’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards women’s rights. The educational intervention was designed using critical theory to improve student knowledge of the social and historical contexts that have led to gender disparities, promoting critical reflection of beliefs in an attempt to modify student attitudes towards women’s rights. We hypothesized that men and women would respond differently to this educational intervention, based on their prior knowledge, experiences, and beliefs. Methods: The knowledge and attitudes of 159 allopathic medical
students were measured between 2023–2024 using a pre- and post-survey to assess the impact of participating in a modified jigsaw educational intervention on gender bias. Results: Students identifying as women had more formal education or experiences with women’s reproductive rights compared to students identifying as men. On average, students showed improved knowledge, answering 4.94 questions correctly on the pre-survey compared to 8.65 questions on the post-survey (p <0.001); however, women began with a higher knowledge level than men. Finally, student attitudes, as measured by agreement with statements, also changed post-intervention, and written statements indicated students’ desire to advocate for women. Discussion: This study shows that a single educational intervention can impact students’ short-term knowledge and attitudes toward women’s rights, which is the first step towards creating agency in students to mitigate the
gender biases seen in medicine.