Women, minority med students more likely to be evaluated on attributes than competency

A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine finds that women and those from underrepresented minority groups are more likely to be evaluated on personal attributes than competency. Scientists looked at narrative evaluations that third-year medical students receive as they apply for residencies, and found that minority students were more likely to be described as “open” and “nice” than their non-minority counterparts. Women were also more likely to be evaluated with personal descriptors like “fabulous” and “pleasant.” Notably, all the words that were used to describe competency were used more often in non-minority students’ evaluations than in those for minority students. “Perhaps it is time to rethink narrative clerkship evaluations to better serve all students,” the authors write.