The Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) has revealed the recipients of its 5th funded ASME PhD / Doctoral Grant. The winning research project focuses on feminist theory; exploring students’ experiences of gender bias within medical schools in the UK, using a range of methods, in order to provide recommendations to improve experiences.
Located at the University of Manchester, the project is entitled Challenging the ‘malestream’ curriculum: an exploration of gender and oppression within health professions education. Supervisors include Professor Gabrielle Finn of the University of Manchester, Dr Megan Brown of Imperial College London, and Professor Paul Tiffin of the University of York.
This PhD programme aims to explore medical students’ experiences of gender within their courses of study to investigate possible early causes of differential postgraduate outcomes and work to facilitate early intervention. In particular, exploring the applicability of feminist theory to the experiences of medical students, developing, if necessary, new theory to explain and contextualise students’ experiences of formal and hidden curricula. The project will develop recommendations in partnership with key stakeholders (e.g. patients, students, faculty, educational leaders) for challenging gender bias and gender-based oppression within curricula to facilitate early intervention, aiming to improve the experiences of women with poorer postgraduate educational outcomes.
The PhD candidate will have the opportunity to work across quantitative and qualitative paradigms, engaging in multi-institution research.
ASME Director of Awards Professor Karen Mattick, said: “We’re delighted to announce the award of our fifth ASME PhD studentship. This award aims to promote high quality research into medical education and help to secure a career pipeline of talented medical education researchers nationally and internationally.”
“The PhD project funded this year explores gender discrimination within the formal and hidden curriculum, as well as the postgraduate space.”
The chosen candidate will receive a stipend, as well as support with the cost of consumables required for the research. ASME will also cover the registration fee to present the work at future Annual Scholarship Meetings. Professor Finn et al. will be invited to present at the ASME Honours event on 8th June 2022.
