The influence of applicantsʼ gender on medical school interviews

Abstract

Although medicine has been traditionally a man's profession, a full third of medical students are now women, and in some schools nearly a half. Only a few articles exist exploring gender differences in the interview process. Implications of sexual discrimination have been made regarding the weight of the interview, the descriptors applied to the women interviewees, and the tones of their letters of reference. Some studies have suggested that unless women have unusual ability or achievements, they should expect to be treated inequitably. The current study was designed to explore any relationships between the questions asked in the interview and the gender of the applicant. The women were more frequently asked about their plans for marriage and children, while the men were more often questioned about their reasons for entering medicine or selection of a specialty. The interviewees believed they could give more honest responses to interviewers of the same gender.

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