Extent and types of gender-based discrimination against female medical students and physicians at five university hospitals in Germany
Subtitle
Results of an online survey
Publication date
2023-11-15
Document type
Forschungsartikel
Author
Lohöfener, Mareike
Bereznai, Judith
Tran, Thi Phuong Anh
Ritter, Marie
Boos, Margarete
Organisational unit
Universität Göttingen
ISSN
Series or journal
GMS Journal for Medical Education
Periodical volume
40
Periodical issue
6
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
Nein
Keyword
Gender-based discrimination
Qualitative analysis
Female student
Female physician
Abstract
Objective: There is a gap in research on gender-based discrimination (GBD) in medical education and practice in Germany. This study therefore examines the extent and forms of GBD among female medical students and physicians in Germany. Causes, consequences and possible interventions of GBD are discussed.
Methods: Female medical students (n=235) and female physicians (n=157) from five university hospitals in northern Germany were asked about their personal experiences with GBD in an online survey on self-efficacy expectations and individual perceptions of the “glass ceiling effect” using an open-ended question regarding their own experiences with GBD. The answers were analyzed by content analysis using inductive category formation and relative category frequencies.
Results: From both interviewed groups, approximately 75% each reported having experienced GBD. Their experiences fell into five main categories: sexual harassment with subcategories of verbal and physical, discrimination based on existing/possible motherhood with subcategories of structural and verbal, direct preference for men, direct neglect of women, and derogatory treatment based on gender.
Conclusion: The study contributes to filling the aforementioned research gap. At the hospitals studied, GBD is a common phenomenon among both female medical students and physicians, manifesting itself in multiple forms. Transferability of the results beyond the hospitals studied to all of Germany seems plausible. Much is known about the causes, consequences and effective countermeasures against GBD. Those responsible for training and employers in hospitals should fulfill their responsibility by implementing measures from the set of empirically evaluated interventions.
Methods: Female medical students (n=235) and female physicians (n=157) from five university hospitals in northern Germany were asked about their personal experiences with GBD in an online survey on self-efficacy expectations and individual perceptions of the “glass ceiling effect” using an open-ended question regarding their own experiences with GBD. The answers were analyzed by content analysis using inductive category formation and relative category frequencies.
Results: From both interviewed groups, approximately 75% each reported having experienced GBD. Their experiences fell into five main categories: sexual harassment with subcategories of verbal and physical, discrimination based on existing/possible motherhood with subcategories of structural and verbal, direct preference for men, direct neglect of women, and derogatory treatment based on gender.
Conclusion: The study contributes to filling the aforementioned research gap. At the hospitals studied, GBD is a common phenomenon among both female medical students and physicians, manifesting itself in multiple forms. Transferability of the results beyond the hospitals studied to all of Germany seems plausible. Much is known about the causes, consequences and effective countermeasures against GBD. Those responsible for training and employers in hospitals should fulfill their responsibility by implementing measures from the set of empirically evaluated interventions.
Description
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Cite as
Tameling JF, Lohöfener M, Bereznai J, Tran TP, Ritter M, Boos M. Extent and types of gender-based discrimination against female medical students and physicians at five university hospitals in Germany – results of an online survey. GMS J Med Educ. 2023;40(6):Doc66. DOI: 10.3205/zma001648, URN: urn:nbn:de:0183-zma0016489
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Published version
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