Gender sensitivity in career mentoring – a project report from the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University

Objective: The elective subject “career management for medical students” is presented as an example of teaching gender sensitivity issues among medical studies at Leipzig University. The project report shows the interim results of promoting gender-sensitive teaching at the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University, as well as the elective’s contribution to the development of gender sensitivity at the entire university. Method: Project Description and Results show the organization/procedure, participants and detailed contents of the elective since it began in Winter Term 2010/11. The research examines the elective’s mandate at the Medical Faculty and beyond, i.e. by comparing with the efforts of other universities. Results: The elective is the first subject for credit within the clinical curriculum of medical studies at Leipzig University that connects the topics of gender sensitivity and career management. It creates a view of the specialties of medicine and research as they relate to gender, and also on the options of a medical career and touches the topic of gender equality. A faculty survey in the winter semester of 2011/12 reveals that nearly one third of the medical students want an extension of the curriculum around the topic of gender or even an independent subject “Gender Medicine”. The elective is part of a cycle promoting gender equality at Leipzig University. Conclusion: The elective initiates and continues the implementation of gender-sensitive teaching at the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University. The management of the elective aims at the permanent establishment of the subject in the curriculum in order to encourage career ambitions early – especially for women.