Gender-Related Beliefs and Roles Among Romanian Medical Students and Healthcare Professionals: A Qualitative Study

Gender role beliefs have been found to play a role in healthcare interactions and outcomes, although research is scarce in contexts where gender-diversity trends increasingly challenge enduring traditions, as is currently the case in Romanian society. This study explored reported gender-role beliefs and behavioural patterns among fifty Romanian participants involved in medical training and practice, representing a heterogeneous socio-professional spectrum rather than a uniform academic group (aged 20–52 with different personal circumstances and clinical employment). Written and oral reflections on gender role axioms widely known in Romania were assessed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results indicated strong endorsement of traditional beliefs—such as male authority and female domestic responsibility—while participants also reported behaviours and life situations inconsistent with those beliefs, including women serving as primary earners, engaging in advanced studies, and balancing multiple roles, and men in caregiving professions. This apparent belief–practice gap, not recognised as such by participants, suggests limited prior reflection on gender issues and potential tensions between pressure to conform to inherited sociocultural norms and evolving personal and professional realities. These findings raise questions regarding possible implications for clinical care, as gender-role assumptions may influence communication, rapport, and preparedness for engaging with gender-diverse patients and peers. They suggest a need for gender-diversity education, reflexivity training, and cultural competence development across undergraduate curricula, continuing education, and workplace training. The key insight of the study is that traditional gender representations can persist unexamined alongside changing behavioural realities, warranting further investigation of their relevance for healthcare education and practice.