Medical students' gender is a predictor of success in the obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to investigate whether a gender difference exists in student performance on any component of the grading scheme in an obstetrics and gynecology clerkship.


METHODS
Evaluation of medical students' performance in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship at our institution includes an Objective Standardized Clinical Examination with an interpersonal skills subsection, a written examination, and faculty evaluations. Performance data from 355 medical students enrolled in the clerkship between 1995 to 1998 were analyzed.


RESULTS
Female students performed better than their male colleagues on the written examination (d = .56), the overall Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (d = .46) and its interpersonal skills subsection (d = .49), and the final clerkship score (d = .48). There were no differences between male and female students in faculty evaluation scores. Female students received better final scores for the clerkship.


CONCLUSIONS
Female students performed about 1/2 standard deviation better on the majority of the assessment tools used in the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship.
Bienstock
Jessica L
JL
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Phipps 228, Baltimore, MD 21287-1228, USA. jbienst@jhmi.edu
Martin
Shari
S
Tzou
Wendy
W
Fox
Harold E
HE
D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000145:classification*