Gender and role differences of lecturer and student perspectives on sex- and gender-based medicine in the medical curriculum - a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND

Sex- and gender-based medicine (SGBM) addresses differences between males/men and females/women with regard to clinical manifestation, diagnostics, treatment and outcomes of diseases. The implementation of SGBM in the medical curriculum varies, and data on the knowledge of lecturers and students about SGBM is scarce. This study aims to evaluate the perceived importance and knowledge of SGBM among lecturers and students.

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational survey was conducted using a questionnaire, including ranked with a Likert Scale. Statistical analysis was performed with the Chi-squared test. All lecturers and students at the Bern University Medical School in Switzerland were invited to voluntarily participate.

RESULTS

114 (34.1%) lecturers and 903 (41.4%) students participated in the survey. Women perceived education of SGBM to be of greater importance than men in lecturer and student subgroups respectively (lecturers women vs. men median 6.0 vs. 5.0, P = 0.011; students 6.0 vs. 5.0, P < 0.001). No significant differences between genders of self-reported knowledge of SGBM were found (lecturers women vs. men median 4.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.624; students 3.0 vs. 4.0, P = 0.562). There were significant differences in the perception of the SGBM being actively addressed in lectures between lecturers and students (59.4% vs. 28.8%, P < 0.001) and whether the curriculum should include SGBM (strongly agree 28.9% vs. 51.3%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Women lecturers and students consider teaching of SGBM during medical studies to be more important than men. Lecturers perceived the amount of SGBM already included in the lectures to be greater compared to students.