According to a recent study, female medical students tend to be less confident and more anxious than male students of equal education when interacting with patients. The male students also tended to over estimate their own competency, while the women underestimated their competency. The study also found that the females appeared less confident to the patients they were treating, and that the male students better identified with the role of being a doctor than the female students after graduating.

Why do you girls think this gender difference might exist? What are some reasons you think the female students might feel less confident than the men? Do you think that gender expectations influence how medical students think they might be perceived by their own patients? Do you think there's more pressure (self or external) on female medical students to live up to expectations because of their gender?