The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians
Abstract Background Despite the fact that medical schools spend a considerable effort to rate clinical instructors, there is limited evidence regarding the effect of physical characteristics on instructor ratings. White coats have been shown to alter patients’ perceptions of physicians although it h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-0932-1 |
| _version_ | 1818280312819417088 |
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| author | Malika Ladha Aleem Bharwani Kevin McLaughlin Henry T. Stelfox Adam Bass |
| author_facet | Malika Ladha Aleem Bharwani Kevin McLaughlin Henry T. Stelfox Adam Bass |
| author_sort | Malika Ladha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Despite the fact that medical schools spend a considerable effort to rate clinical instructors, there is limited evidence regarding the effect of physical characteristics on instructor ratings. White coats have been shown to alter patients’ perceptions of physicians although it has not been determined if preceptors who wear white coats are rated differently than their colleagues. Methods Second year medical students were administered a questionnaire with four clinical scenarios depicting medical errors accompanied by a picture of a physician of different sexes and ethnicities. The packages were randomized so that the physicians depicted either had or did not have a white coat. Results White coats did not alter the perception of physicians’ ratings by medical students although sex and ethnicity/case were associated with the perception of trustworthiness, physician management, competence, professionalism and the perception of medical error. Conclusions Physical characteristics may alter students’ ratings of physicians. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T23:47:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-78fb927eea864f7aab8b70457891874e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T23:47:14Z |
| publishDate | 2017-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-78fb927eea864f7aab8b70457891874e2022-12-22T00:06:49ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202017-05-011711510.1186/s12909-017-0932-1The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physiciansMalika Ladha0Aleem Bharwani1Kevin McLaughlin2Henry T. Stelfox3Adam Bass4Department of Medicine, University of CalgaryDepartment of Medicine, University of CalgaryDepartment of Medicine, University of CalgaryDepartments of Critical Care, Medicine and Community Health Sciences, University of CalgaryDepartment of Medicine, University of CalgaryAbstract Background Despite the fact that medical schools spend a considerable effort to rate clinical instructors, there is limited evidence regarding the effect of physical characteristics on instructor ratings. White coats have been shown to alter patients’ perceptions of physicians although it has not been determined if preceptors who wear white coats are rated differently than their colleagues. Methods Second year medical students were administered a questionnaire with four clinical scenarios depicting medical errors accompanied by a picture of a physician of different sexes and ethnicities. The packages were randomized so that the physicians depicted either had or did not have a white coat. Results White coats did not alter the perception of physicians’ ratings by medical students although sex and ethnicity/case were associated with the perception of trustworthiness, physician management, competence, professionalism and the perception of medical error. Conclusions Physical characteristics may alter students’ ratings of physicians.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-0932-1AttireBiasGender |
| spellingShingle | Malika Ladha Aleem Bharwani Kevin McLaughlin Henry T. Stelfox Adam Bass The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians BMC Medical Education Attire Bias Gender |
| title | The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians |
| title_full | The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians |
| title_fullStr | The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians |
| title_short | The effect of white coats and gender on medical students’ perceptions of physicians |
| title_sort | effect of white coats and gender on medical students perceptions of physicians |
| topic | Attire Bias Gender |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-017-0932-1 |
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