Medical education | 2021
Gender-focused training improves leadership of female medical students: A randomized trial.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION\nRecent research suggests that the gender of healthcare providers may affect their medical performance. This trial investigated 1) the effects of the gender composition of resuscitation teams on leadership behavior of first responders and 2) the effects of a brief gender-specific instruction on leadership behavior of female first responders.\n\n\nMETHODS\nThis prospective randomized single-blinded trial, carried out between 2008 and 2016, included 364 fourth-year medical students of two Swiss universities.182 teams of two students each were confronted with a simulated cardiac arrest, occurring in the presence of a first responder while a second responder is summoned to help. The effect of gender composition was assessed by comparing all possible gender-combinations of first and second responders. The gender-specific instruction focused on the importance of leadership, gender differences in self-esteem and leadership, acknowledgement of unease while leading, professional role, and mission statement to lead; was delivered orally for 10 min by a staff physician; and tested by randomizing female first responders to the intervention group or the control group. The primary outcome, based on ratings of video-recorded performance, was the first responders percentage contribution to their teams leadership statements and critical treatment decision making.\n\n\nRESULTS\nFemale first responders contributed significantly less to leadership statements (53 % vs 76 %; P = 0.001) and critical decisions (57 % vs 76 %; P = 0.018) than male first responders. For critical treatment decisions, this effect was more pronounced (P = 0.007) when the second responder was male. The gender-specific intervention significantly increased female first responder s contribution to leadership statements (P = 0.024) and critical treatment decisions (P = 0.034).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nFemale first responders contributed less to their rescue teams leadership and critical decision making than their male colleagues. A brief gender-specific leadership instruction was effective in improving female medical students leadership behaviors.