Female residents — especially from minority groups — report feeling undervalued at work

Female medical residents, especially those from racial minority groups, have a harder time fitting in during their training than males, according to a small, new survey of more than 200 general surgery residents in Canada. Compared with men from minority groups, women from non-white, non-First Nations groups were much less likely to agree that they had a collegial relationship with staff, to feel like they fit in at their program, and to feel valued at work. Among all racial groups, only 3% of men expressed concern about training opportunities because of their gender, compared to 48% of women who said the same. A majority of the female residents surveyed reported feeling like their medical expertise was dismissed at least once a year because of their gender, compared to 98% of men who reported never having felt that way.