Training, Expectations, and Opportunities in Italian Medical Schools: A Gender Perspective

The evolving landscape of healthcare sector in Italy – characterized by chronic critical issues and exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic crisis – presents significant challenges for current and future physicians, particularly regarding professional orientation, work-life balance, and the intersection of public and private employment. This study explores the experiences, expectations, and concerns of medical residents from different specializations, with a specific focus on the gendered dimensions of their training and career paths. Combining survey data from hundreds of final-year medical students with 40 in-depth interviews with male and female residents, the research addresses two main areas.

First, it investigates residents’ orientations towards the medical profession and their aspirations and uncertainties for future employment. Particular attention is given to their concerns about reconciling professional and personal life, and how these concerns are reflected in their choices of specialty, where gender plays a key role, with traditionally male-dominated specialties facing different expectations and pressures compared to those with a higher female representation.

Second, the study examines the forms of professional socialization within medical residency programs, shedding light on the implicit and explicit norms residents are exposed to. It explores how these socialization processes, often differentiated by gender, contribute to shaping their professional identities and influence their career trajectories. By analyzing how gender dynamics manifest in specialties that are either male- or female-dominated, the study highlights the complex interactions between training, gender expectations, future career choices, and the well-being of healthcare workers.