Medical students' gender is a predictor of success in the obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship

Background and Purpose: 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.