Gender in Medical Education Mala Ramanathan Associate Professor AMCHSS

Gender ‘Sex’ as an indicator represents the biological differences between female and male ‘Gender’ describes the roles that are socially ascribed to female and male behaviours, duties, rights and responsibilities These roles are reinforced through the various institutions such as family, educational, legal, religious, economic and political systems

Gender and Social Values in Medical Education Incorporation of Gender perspectives would serve to make medical education more socially relevant Role of gender analysis tools – helps to identify inequities –By gender – By socio-economic and political contexts Recognizing social inequities = recognizing gender inequities as well

Medical Education Medical Education reiterates these values with respect to the relationships between –the patients and professionals, –the professionals such as the doctor and the nurse –the teacher and the taught This is a reflection of the fact that Medicine as a discipline is male centric, in terms of –Language –Knowledge base –World view

Medical Education in India Changing student profiles Role of PSM departments Student attitudes towards PSM Privatization of Medical Education – Roles of PSM is likely to get diminished as it has no marketable value ‘The practitioner – student’ lack of feedback mechanisms in medical education from students

Medical Education – The Context Expansion in Medical education –183 colleges for western medicine (majority in private sector) –400 colleges for Ayurveda and Homeopathy –20,000 medical doctors trained per year in modern medicine alone

Women in Medical Education Rising proportion of women entering modern medicine at under graduate level (slightly below 50 per cent) Lesser proportion of women in post graduate medical education (about a third) Very miniscule proportion in super specialties (2 per cent)

Need for gender sensitisation in Medical Education Medical education – least studied Texts of medical education – not studied from gender perspective Contents have been critiqued by social scientists Role of SCTIMST in trying to take a lead

The agenda To intervene in the area of research, education and advocacy –With particular emphasis on medical schools, associations of health professionals and NGOs –To use a gender and rights perspective –To also incorporate ethical perspectives

The AMCHSS SCTIMST and untrodden paths MPH programme Social Science strengths MPH progamme Gender and Health Course Research

The starting point January 2002 –Workshop in Mumbai in collaboration with CEHAT, Mumbai Suggested a three pronged approach Working with educators Reviewing textual material Involving the policy makers and senior personal in medical education

The objectives of the project To document content, method and setting of health professionals training to develop gender sensitive training modules for teachers in those schools and network with such institutions within India As an extension to also develop a short course on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity that incorporates a gender and reproductive rights perspective To provide support to NGOS in technical and ethical aspects of work This initiative is supported by the MacArthur Foundation

Stage 1 Curriculum development workshop –January 2003 –Meeting to develop curriculum for this course as well as the MPS Course –Several key persons in medical education as well as gender activists participated

Stage 2 Gender Review of Medical Texts in India –This effort is on with a workshop in July, 2003 –Review of six clinical specialties in medicine: PSM, Forensic, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Surgery and Gynecology –This material is now being used as part of the training process

Stage 3 Short course for Medical Educators –Envisaged as part of both the training as well as the advocacy effort –As part of the project effort at least three workshops have been planned of which this is the first –Includes about 28 participants from the SEARO region including 12 from India –Facilitated with WHO-SEARO collaboration

Stage 4 Advocacy efforts to include senior policy makers and medical hierarchy –Workshop for senior medical educators such as deans and others –Research assistance to NGOs

Thank you