Gender bias faced by medical students during undergraduate medical education in Urban Private medical colleges in Pakistan

Gender Issues are least talked about in the fields of medical education and yet females and even male doctors are blamed often for not being able to pursue a career in their field. Some doctors have been seen to pursue singing careers, while others take up the baking business or even the clothing business. The real issues and solutions to overcome them are still to be sought. 1. To determine the gender bias faced by medical students during undergraduate medical education in Urban Private medical colleges in Pakistan. The setting is a Private medical and dental college in Karachi. The duration 6 months. It is a mixed study, both Qualitative and Quantitative. Material and methods used include In-depth interviews of 7 groups with 35 students conducted with undergraduate medical students. After transcription of all data, codes and themes and data interpreted recorded, and sent to 2 focus group members for member validation. Data collection approval from IRB. A total of 254 responses, 52% female and 48% male. The average age is between 19 and 24. 31.5% gender bias was faced by Faculty members, 21.7% from family/relatives and 17.3% by students, 7.9% from seniors. Rest from nurses, staff, clerical staff, also Consultants. 13% of students claimed they were pressured to take admission to medicine while 87% said they were not forced. Students facing discrimination said it affected their mental health, and they felt Low self-esteem and frustration. Academic performance is not majorly affected. The qualitative aspect of gender discrimination issues added some insight into actual problems. Students facing discrimination said it affected their mental health, and they felt low self-esteem and frustration. Academic performance is not majorly affected. It is essential to create an educational environment where everyone feels valued and respected to ensure an empathetic healthcare system.