Gender differences in first year medical students' attitudes towards a discussion-oriented behavioral science course

We investigated gender differences among first year medical students’ attitudes towards a discussion-oriented behavioral science course, performance on an end of course essay, and locus of control. Female medical students generally evaluated the course more favorably than their male counterparts, and scored higher on the Rotter I-E scale (i.e., were more external). There were no gender differences in essay grades. Implications of the findings are discussed and future research directions are suggested.