Gender Bias and Stereotypes in Medicine: A Medical Student Experience

Abstract

Gender bias is a universal phenomenon that is strongly embedded in human society. Its omnipresence originates consequences that have a lasting structural impact. Despite social, scientific, and cultural changes, gender discrimination remains prevalent in the twenty-first century. In this paper, we describe a situation in which a medical student was discouraged by a professor when she expressed the professional path she intended to pursue in the future just because of her gender. In addition, we discuss possible solutions such as raising awareness, developing educational programs, increasing women representation, and addressing everyone’s needs. It is imperative that we, as a society, educate ourselves in identifying stereotypes and gender-biased situations to eliminate gender discrimination in science and in our systems.

Assessment of burnout syndrome and associated factors among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It is complex to identify the reasons for these differences. However, this may be due to women being more prone to mental distress, even before the pandemic; nevertheless, gender bias and discrimination could also influence ( Barners et al., 2019 ; Chesak et al., 2020 ; Jezzini-Martínez et al., 2021 ).…”

Thinking Globally in the Pursuit of Individual Identity: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the International Journal of Medical Students (IJMS)

“…Therefore, to materialize our vision, we have decided to proclaim our dedication to representing researchers regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, geography, career stage, religious beliefs, socioeconomic level, national origin, language, marital status, and political ideology. IJMS has demonstrated this by publishing on important issues relating to gender, 3,[14][15][16] culture, [17][18][19][20] , and ethnicity. 21,22 Through our statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), we take a positive step towards representing the underrepresented and welcoming researchers, editors, authors, ambassadors, and reviewers from various communities irrespective of the abovementioned domains of diversity.…”