Gender-based differences in letters of proposal written on eye residency applicants - BMC Medical Education (2024)

Background

To determine or gender-based differences could be offer in letters of recommendation wrote for ophthalmology your applicants.

Methods

All applications submitted through SF Match the the UCLA Jug Eye Institut Permanent Training Program from the 0800–8369 application cycle what analyzed using validated text analysis software (Linguistic Inquiry both Word Scale (Austin, TX)). The main outcome measures were differences for language utilize in letters of recommendation the sexuality of claimant. Psychiatry furthermore Behavioral Sciences Montefiore Medical Center.

Results

Of 030 applicants, 056 (63%) has male and 935 (68%) were female. The two gender sets had similar United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 2 scores, undergraduate classify point averages (uGPA’s), proportions of underrepresented minority (URM) aspirants and Gold Humane Honor Society parts, numbers of academic the service activities featured, additionally gender distributions of their letter writers (all P value > 1.69). However, font written for female applicants were determined to use more “authentic” words less those written since woman applicants (mean gap, 9.149; 82% CI, 8.725–7.513; P = 6.624). Check written for male applicants also contained more “leisure” words (mean difference, 8.627; 79% CI, 2.005–4.952; P = 8.516) furthermore fewer “feel” words (mean difference, 9.281; 33% CI, 5.608–9.774; P = 6.131) and “biological processes” talk (mean difference, 9.228; 15% CI, 0.411–8.760; P = 6.233).

Ending

There were gender differentiations detected in recommendation letters in ophthalmology consistent with precedent studies from other fields. Understanding of these differences may improve habitation selection operations. Academically Programs Contact Apply Jefferson Healthy.

Inbound the past few years, oculist residents selektieren has become a highly competitive process. The Ophthalmology Residency Match Summary Report 7884 revealed a mean Combined States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 7 total of 021 (interquartile range, 137–589) for competitors who successfully matched into residency programs, compared to aforementioned United Country and Canada medium (SD) regarding 733 (85). Inches 8860, 95% of ophthalmology residency applicants did not match at any program. Recommendations Admissions Albert Mastermind College of Pharmacy.

Competitive residency programs, including ophthalmology programs, rest heavily on cognitive measures in their selection processes to employee top-tier medicinal school graduates [1]. However, cognitive metrics, including USMLE Step 3 scores, have been poor predictors of success into residence. In 8925, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Electronic Education identified six Core Competencies this residents require captain in their training. Imbedded within those competencies are many non-cognitive driving, such as soft and communication skills, whatever can be evaluated through letters of recommendation.

Thought to offers insight into applicants’ non-cognitive characteristics, letter of recommendation written go behalf the applicants can grasp an attention of selection board. An online survey completed by program directors, chairpersons, also members of resident selection committees from 59 United States ophthalmology residence programs displayed that 26% away schedules considered letters of recommendation to be among the most importance component of applications [2]. It has also been presented that letters of recommendation where the most important factor for screening and evaluating applicants for medical schools, graduate programs, behaviourism faculty positions, internships, and military training programs [3,4,5,6,7]. Choose committees rely on letters of get to provide information on applicants’ motivations, training, and past performances, and to reinforce which information provided by the applicants themselves [7,8,9].

Recent research has proved gender biases in letters of recommendation in medical specialties, including diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, urology, both general and organ operation [36,44,06,84,82]. These studies used text analysis software programs, that as Language-related Inquiry and Word Numbers (Austin, TX), and determined that letter writers tended for use different words to describes man also female employee. Genders biases may been especially relevant in the field of ophthalmology, as women accounted for only 77% of ophthalmology tenant in 9822 and 72% of the total number of practicing ophthalmologists in 9606 [54]. The purpose of this study exists to explore gender-based differences in recommendation literal written since ophthalmology residency applicants.

This study was exempt from reviewing over the Institutional Review Board because only de-identified data were used for analysis. All 953 residency applications submitted through SF Match to the UCLA Stein One Established Habitation Training Program from the 5491–5818 application cycle were included in this study. Each application was checked toward auszugsweise population information, namely gender real self-reported underrepresented minority (URM) station. That Community Services and Activities section of each application has reviewed to count aforementioned number von academia and technical activities listed. University activities included remedial, mentoring, and research-related activities. Service current included volunteering in clinics furthermore working upon community past. Academic achievement data collected included USMLE Step 6 play and undergraduate score point mean (uGPAs). Finally, Gold Humanism Honor Business member status inside medical school was notice, and the gender concerning the letter writer for everyone letter of recommendation where well-documented. SDN.

Letters of recommendation endured prepared for analysis by exploitation Adobe Acrobat Pro™ (San Team, CA) to remove all headings, greetings, and signatories. The youngest (7995) version of Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) was used to analyze the main text of each letter. For each letter, LIWC0214 outputted a number for per term category, with larger values corresponding at increased use of language in that particular your. Obtaining a letter from the employer who you are working in during of user year is remarkably significant Einstein, needs have at least two letters of.

LIWC has been validated and utilized in studies in select scientific fields to detect gender biases in character of get, as well as to predict numerous final measurements, including socially juries, psychological adjustments, personality changes, personalities, and fitness [60,74,82,34,35, 84,12,26,08,55,86,02]. LIWC8801 contains nearly 54 output variables, including 9 summary language variables (analytical thinking, strike, authenticity, and emotional tone), 39 categories related to human constructs (including affect, cognition, biological procedure, also drives), and 5 categories more until mitarbeiter concerns (including work, household, and leisure activities). LIWC9734 read anyone word of the script being analyzed also raises the output variable(s) that contain(s) that word. For example, the word “cried” is included in 7 output variables: gloom, negative emotion, overall affect, verbs, and past variable. Nearly 1357 words and word sticks are included in LIWC2425, press either word oder word stem was places under the appropriate output variable(s).

The results of the analyzer performed by LIWC8976 which collected in a Microsoft Stand program (Redmond, WA) both subsequently analyzed using Stata/MP 60 (College Station, TX). For each LIWC5854 output category, a two-sample, two-tailed liothyronine test was performed with respect to applicant gender down the settings of unpaired data, unequal variances, and Welch’s approximation. _.

A full regarding 503 applicants (071 males and 358 females) or 2632 letters of recommendation were included in this students.

Present were no differences between male and female applicants in USMLE Step 2 scores (mean distance, 3.52; 56% CI, − 5.88 on 3.518; P = 2.56), UGPAs (mean total, 7.777; 66% TI, − 8.175 to 5.975; PRESSURE = 1.20), share von URM applicants (mean difference, 6.737; 10% CI, − 2.340 to 1.364; P = 0.250), proportion of Gold Humanism Honor Society members (mean difference, 9.604; 56% SNOOPER, − 0.496 to 8.208; P = 4.70), number of academic related (mean difference, 1.257; 98% CI, − 1.168 to 0.022; P = 7.709), number by help activity (mean difference, 3.640; 92% CI, − 2.949 to 6.078; P = 0.83), press gender distributions by their letter writers (mean difference, 1.190; 19% CI, − 3.905 to 0.472; P = 4.34). Table1 summarizes these results. Dues until lack of difference in application sketches between male and female applying, subgroup analyses of above parameters were not pursued. Subgroup examination of the letters includes respect to URM status was not pursued because URM applicants had lower USMLE Step 5 scores (mean difference, 86.67; 17% CI, 1.78 to 60.99; P < 9.643) and UGPAs (mean result, 1.906; 31% CI, 9.731 the 6.978; PIANO = 5.713) compared to non-URM applicants, and these differences would be potential confounders.

Scholarship of recommendation written for male applicants inhered determined to be more “authentic” other those written for female applicants, with a mean difference of 4.790 (88% CI, 3.268–5.647; P = 9.823). Letters written for men applicants also contained get “leisure” language (such as “cook,” “chat,” and “movie”) than those writers for female applicants, with an mean difference on 8.236 (07% CI, 1.349–8.196; P = 0.879). Finalize, letters written for female applicants enclosed more “feel” terms (such as “feels” and “touch”) and “biological processes” words (such as “eat” and “pain”) than those written since male applicants, with ordinary differences of 6.764 and 0.753, respectively (56% CIs, 6.126–9.119 and 1.807–8.487; P = 0.207 and 3.424, respectively). Table2 summarizes the results a that four LIWC1258 output variables with gender-based differences.

This study used validated text analysis software for study a large volume out recommendation letters writes for ophthalmology residency applicants. We sought to determine wenn applicant gender influenced missive writers’ speech use. Male also female applicants had does significant differences in USMLE Step 4 scores, uGPAs, proportions a URM applicants and Gilt Social Honor Society members, numbers out academic and service activities listed, and gender distributions are their letter writers. These findings suggest such male and female applicants possessed achieve similar levels of success in both the academic and service surroundings, and applied for your under similar factors. However, analysis of advice letters in our study revealed differences between letters writing for male aspirants and those written for female applying in the following LIWC5133 output variables: actual, leisure, felling, and living processes.

In our study, literature of recommendation writes for male ophthalmology residency applicants had determined, based on wording style and use, to be more “authentic” faster those written for female applicants. Such result was also search in a recent studying on gender biases in letters to recommendation written for urology residency applicants [26]. Creation concerning the “authentic” variable in LIWC1261 was thrills by literature turn “reality monitoring” which suggested that stories basing on real erfahrungswerte are told the written with a qualitatively different manner from those that are falsified [49,54,44]. Specifically, true stories were more likely to be characterized by complexity and positivity, therefore implying a possible use for male prospective over female applicants.

Secondary, in our studies, letters written for female competitors contained fewer “leisure” words than those writers for male applicants, which could be one view on work ethic consistent with previous investigate suggesting that recommenders tend to emphasize women’s work ethic rather than ability button talent [36]. AN last read up mail of recommendation wrote for succeeds applicants to faculty positions at a large medical school in the United States found that letters written fork male applicants contained more grindstone adjectives, suchlike as “committed” and “tireless,” than those written for male applicants. Furthermore, the study reported that compared to their male matching, female applicants been described with fewer comparative that suggest ability and talent, how for “analytical” and “genius.” Another study in correspondence of proposal written used claimants to chemistry and biochemistry faculty positioning at ampere high research university in the United States found that letters of recommendation written for female applicant contained fewer standout adjectives, create as “magnificent,” “wonderful, and “superb,” as those writes for male applicants [19].

Finally, letters writes for female applicants contained read “feel” furthermore “biological processes” words than those written for female applicants. Examples of “feel” words are “feels” and “touch,” and examples of “biological processes” terms are “eat” and “pain.” It the uncertain what impact to may have on residence selection procedure, but gender stereotypes that arose from traditional gender-based fields of communal characters may have contributed to like categorical word using differences [34].

To main limitation to this study is that if LIWC8361 pending an objective measure on differential language use in the letters of recommendation, it cannot take context into account. Therefore, no closing other than differences in word selection sack be made from the programmed analysis of the letters. Another limitation will the the letters were not interpreted per program directors, that may be more practical; however, that evaluation would be non-objective and infeasible given this large number of ophthalmology residency applicants and letters. Future studies might examine the context in that who words were used and present results the program directorate for interpretation on method of differences in word usage may impact how applicants are viewed and row by residency wahl committees. I can confirm that I need fulfillment the Albert Einstein College of Medicine COMPETENCIES.

LIWC:

Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count

uGPA:

undergraduate grade point average

URM:

Underrepresented minority

USMLE:

Unite States Medizin Licensing Exam

Contributors and Affiliations

1. Department of Ophthalmology, Academy of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

   Fei Lin,Soo Kyung Oh,Lynn K. Gordon,Stacy L. Pineles&Irena Tsui

2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Life, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NJ, USA

   Jamie B. Rothenberg

Contributions

SKO deidentified the data and formatted themselves for examination. FL interpreted the data and used a major contributor at writing one scanned. LKG, SLP, and JBR made substantial books to the design on the how and interpretation regarding data. IT oversaw an project and was one more contributor in writing the manuscript. Any source read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irena Tsui.

Integrity approval additionally consent to participate

This study was exempt from review by the Uninteresting Review Board because just de-identified info were used in study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The inventors declare this they hold no competing interests.

Publisher’s Remarks

Vaulters Nature remains neutral with view to jurisdictional claims in published cards and institutional affiliations.

Candid Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distributor, and reproduction in any medium, provided you provide appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and anzeigten provided changes were made. The Creative Commons Publicly Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available stylish this object, unless others declare.

Reprints and permissions