Perceptions on gender awareness and considerations in career choices of medical students in a medical school in Taiwan

Yueh-Chin Chung, Ching-Yi Lin, Chien-Ning Huang, Jen-Hung Yang
2013 Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences  
communications than male physicians". Factors influencing career choices of medical students, including "personal interests/talents" and "academic achievement of the specialty," were not significantly different by gender. Factors included "training and learning environments of the specialty", "risk of lawsuit", and "economic incentive" were more appreciated by the senior than the junior students (p < 0.05). Effect of "family" or "spouse" did not differ significantly regardless of gender or
more » ... rity. The 7 th -year students had experiences in clinical medicine and had different considerations in career choice in comparison to the 1 st -year students, and gender played a role in senior students. In addition, the senior rather than the junior students regarded "training and learning environments", "risk of lawsuit", and "economic incentive" as more important factors affecting the career choices, and male students paid more attention to these issues. Other factors such as fixed hours of duty with no emergency, easier lifestyle, and more time to take care his/her families were also important factors affecting career choice in medical students regardless of their gender; however, the junior students disclosed lower concern on the issues. In addition, four major misperceptions of gender and health issues were prevalent in the 7 th -year students; therefore, we recognized the importance of integrating gender issues into medical curriculum to diminish gender misunderstanding and prejudice, and to provide gender-specific health care is mandatory in Taiwan.
doi:10.1016/j.kjms.2013.01.014 pmid:24183358 fatcat:q2lmkdr4tvcu7j4xzidvvxuxci