Dataset Information

Role of Sex in Participation During Virtual Grand Rounds in Ophthalmology.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Sex disparities exist in academia. Female attendees consistently ask fewer questions in scientific meetings than male attendees, even when they constitute half of the audience.

Objective

To assess the role of sex in participation during virtual grand rounds (GR) at a major academic center.

Design, setting, and participants

In this prospective cohort study, attendees of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, GR from April 2020 to April 2021 were included. All GR were held via a synchronous live video communication platform. During each GR session, a predesignated attendee collected the sex of all attendees, sex of the GR speaker, and sex of each individual who asked a question to the GR speaker in order of inquiry. The GR speakers and audience were unaware of the study. Data were analyzed from June 2021 to April 2023.

Main outcome and measures

The main analysis assessed the association between being female and asking one of the first 3 questions.

Results

A total of 31 virtual ophthalmology GR sessions were observed. The sex of the GR speaker was female in 13 of 31 sessions (42%). The mean (SD) percentage of audience sex at each of the GR sessions was 47% (0.05) female, 45% (0.06) male, and 8% (0.03) unknown. Male attendees were more likely to ask one of the first 3 questions compared with female attendees (prevalence ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 2.1-4.5; P < .001).

Conclusions and relevance

Male attendees were more likely to ask questions during virtual ophthalmology GR compared with female attendees at an academic medical center. Strategies to encourage equal participation of sex in academic discourse should be encouraged.

SUBMITTER: Hennein L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10360000 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Role of Sex in Participation During Virtual Grand Rounds in Ophthalmology.

Hennein Lauren L Liu Yingna Y Shuman Elizabeth A EA Kim Jessica S JS Moss Heather E HE Keenan Jeremy D JD Seitzman Gerami D GD

JAMA ophthalmology 20230901 9

<h4>Importance</h4>Sex disparities exist in academia. Female attendees consistently ask fewer questions in scientific meetings than male attendees, even when they constitute half of the audience.<h4>Objective</h4>To assess the role of sex in participation during virtual grand rounds (GR) at a major academic center.<h4>Design, setting, and participants</h4>In this prospective cohort study, attendees of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, GR from April 2 ...[more]

PMID: 37471083

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Project description:Background The evolution of medical school curricula, characterized by truncated preclinical periods and reduced emphasis on ophthalmology, presents formidable obstacles to early exposure for aspiring medical students. The constraints imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic further exacerbated the limitations on opportunities, compelling the implementation of innovative initiatives aimed at augmenting students' ophthalmology education through virtual means. Purpose This article assesses the impact of an Ophthalmology Virtual Externship (OVE) on medical students' knowledge, interest, confidence, and seeking mentorship in ophthalmology. Materials and Methods A total of 76 students voluntarily participated in the program. The OVE encompassed four virtual sessions, facilitated by 4th year medical students employing a near-peer mentorship framework. The initiative was tailored for 2nd and 3rd year medical students and was conducted under the supervision of a faculty member. All participating students completed both pre- and postexternship surveys utilizing a 7-point Likert scale to gauge their levels of interest, confidence, and inclination toward mentorship opportunities in the field of ophthalmology. Furthermore, assessments of ophthalmology knowledge were administered prior to and subsequent to the externship participation. The degree of satisfaction derived from the OVE experience was also evaluated. Results Participation in the OVE significantly elevated confidence in knowledge ( p < 0.001) and mentorship interest ( p = 0.029). Ophthalmology knowledge test scores also notably improved post-OVE across all participants, irrespective of prior experience ( p < 0.001), with the most significant increase observed among 2nd and 3rd year students ( p < 0.0001). After OVE participation, 73% of students expressed intent to pursue ophthalmology opportunities, including mentorship or research. The OVE received an average Likert score of 6.35 out of 7 for student satisfaction. Conclusion The OVE serves as a virtual learning instrument beneficial for 2nd and 3rd year students with a proclivity for ophthalmology, offering a means to circumvent curriculum-related constraints. Moreover, given the decline in formal ophthalmic education, our study contributes to future research assessing the effectiveness of an OVE in addressing ophthalmic knowledge gaps among all medical students.

Project description:ProblemAs biomedical research and clinical medicine become increasingly complex, physician-scientists and clinically oriented biomedical researchers play important roles in bridging the gap between disciplines. A lack of educational programming that addresses the unique needs of students preparing for careers at the interface of basic science and clinical medicine may contribute to trainee attrition.ApproachThe MD-PhD/LHB Grand Rounds was introduced in 2008 as a trainee-driven collaborative effort of the Harvard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology MD-PhD program at Harvard Medical School (HMS MD-PhD program), Harvard's Leder Human Biology and Translational Medicine (LHB) program, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) Internal Medicine Department. Each of the program's approximately 4 sessions per year begins with dinner, followed by a clinical case presentation led by a BWH MD-PhD resident with a master clinician faculty discussant, then a research presentation by an LHB PhD student or an MD-PhD student on a basic science topic related to the clinical case, and time for socialization.OutcomesIn a July 2017 survey of participating students and residents, respondents reported being highly satisfied with the program. Mean satisfaction ratings were 4.3 (SD 0.5) for 12 MD-PhD students, 4.2 (SD 0.7) for 31 LHB students, and 4.4 (SD 0.9) for 5 residents on a 5-point scale (5 = very satisfied). Free-text responses suggested MD-PhD students valued opportunities for active engagement with the resident presenter and faculty discussant. LHB students appreciated the absence of medical jargon in the clinical presentations. Residents' reported reasons for participating included enjoyment of teaching and interaction with students.Next stepsThe Harvard MD-PhD/LHB Grand Rounds can serve as a template for developing similar programs at other institutions. Research is needed to determine whether such grand rounds programs can help fix the leaky pipeline in the training of future physician-scientists and clinically oriented biomedical researchers.

Dataset Information

Role of Sex in Participation During Virtual Grand Rounds in Ophthalmology.

Importance

Objective

Design, setting, and participants

Main outcome and measures

Results

Conclusions and relevance

Publications

Role of Sex in Participation During Virtual Grand Rounds in Ophthalmology.

Similar Datasets

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