Does Equal Education Generate Equal Attitudes? Gender Differences in Medical Students' Attitudes Toward the Ideal Physician

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Developing a patient-centered attitude is an important objective of medical education. Gender differences in students' patient-centered attitudes are also reported. PURPOSES: Our study aims to measure (a) do gender differences and age differences exist in 1st- and 6th-year students' attitudes toward the ideal physician? and (b) what happens to gender differences in attitudes as students pass the medical curriculum? METHODS: In 2004, attitudes of 1st-year and 6th-year medical students of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre are measured with the Ideal Physician Scale. Scores between groups are compared with t tests and univariate analysis of variance tests. RESULTS: Although both male and female students' attitudes become more care-oriented as they pass through the curriculum, gender differences are still apparent. CONCLUSIONS: Medical education does not differentially influence male and female students. Nevertheless, existing gender differences are reproduced. Equal education does not lead to equal attitudes.

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