Student Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Male Faculty Teaching Female-Specific Sex and Gender Health Topics
Objective. The primary objective of this study was to assess perceptions of second year pharmacy students regarding predominantly male faculty instructing them regarding female physiology, pathophysiology, and gender health topics. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was administered to second year pharmacy students at a small, private, non-profit college of pharmacy at the conclusion of their women’s health integrated pharmacotherapeutics course. Students were asked to rate their level of agreement with various statements using a five-point Likert scale on which 1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree. Results. Forty-seven students completed the survey (26 female and 21 male). The students indicated high agreement with statement: “Prior to the lectures, I felt comfortable having male faculty teach the majority of women's health topics” (median=5, IQR=4-5). Students also indicated neutrality towards the statement: “The gender of the instructor is of importance in the didactic instruction of women’s health topics” (median=3, IQR=1-3). No significant differences were observed regarding student gender. Conclusion. Pharmacy students were generally amenable to male faculty teaching female-specific sex and gender health topics. This pattern was observed in both male and female students.