Science & technology | Gendered medicine

Do women make better doctors than men? 

Research suggests yes

Inside an intensive care unit.
Photograph: Jonny Weeks/Guardian/eyevine

Many factors can influence whether a patient lives or dies. The quality of the drugs they receive, for example, the rigour with which their symptoms are monitored, or—more surprisingly—the gender of the attending physician. In data from a host of different countries, patients seen by female doctors seem to do better than those seen by male ones. Why, though, remains mysterious.

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Gender differences ”

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