Abstract

VERDE FLOTA, Elizabeth et al. Health sciences careers choice reasons in women students. Educ. méd. [online]. 2007, vol.10, n.1, pp.44-51. ISSN 1575-1813.

Objective: To analyze the reasons by which student women of the health area choice their careers. Material and method: The harvesting of the information was made through surveys of auto-response for entrance students in 2004 of the medicine, nursing, odontology and dietetics careers of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Xochimilco, Mexico. Only were considered the students whose first option was these careers. Altogether 437 surveys were applied. The independent variable was the internalization of gender stereotypes evaluated by means of the Inventory of Masculinidad and Feminidad. The dependent variable was the reasons by which the students had chosen their career. Results: The women from medicine had more masculine characteristics than those of nursing and odontology; whereas the last ones had more characteristics related to the submission. The medical ones reported, with more frequency, to have chosen their career because it has qualities related to the masculinity as the decision making or social prestige. The dietitians with more frequency indicated that they chose their careers because it allowed them to learn to stay healthful. The odontology women indicated that they had chosen their profession because allowed themto take care of its children. Conclusions: The influence of the gender norms in the academic trajectory of the women is reflected in the characteristics of the women that study each profession and in their motives of career selection.

Keywords : gender; women; students; careers selection; health professions.

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