Gender disparities among medical students choosing to pursue careers in medical research: A cross-sectional cohort analysis

Abstract

\n Background: Though the proportion of women in medical schools has increased, gender disparities among those who pursue research careers still exists. In this study, we seek to better understand the main factors contributing to the existing gender disparities among medical students choosing to pursue careers in medical research.Methods: A cross-sectional cohort analysis was conducted using a 70-item survey that was sent to 16,418 medical students at 32 academic medical centers and was IRB approved at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania. Data was collected from September 2012 to December 2014. Survey results were analyzed using chi-square tests to determine gender differences in demographic characteristics (training stage, race/ethnicity, marital status, parental status, financial support, and parental career background), career sector choice, career content choice, specialty choice, foreseeable career obstacles, and perceptions about medical research careers. Results: There were 4433 respondents (27% response rate). Female respondents were more likely to be enrolled in MD-only programs, while male respondents were more likely to be enrolled in MD/PhD programs. More male trainees selected academia as their first-choice career sector, while more female respondents selected hospitalist as their first-choice career sector. More female respondents identified patient care and opportunities for community service as their top career selection factors, while more male respondents identified research and teaching as their top career selection factors. Conclusions: There are many factors from a medical student’s perspective that contribute to the existing gender disparities in pursuing a career in medical research, including student loan burden, future compensation, work/life balance, and family/caretaker obligations. While much progress has been made in attracting nearly equal numbers of men and women to the field of medicine, active efforts to bridge the gap between men and women in medical research careers are needed.