NewRoFoundation

Amanda Cao’s research into the perceptions of doctors based on gender helped her earn more than the accolades it has brought her.

To be sure, those accolades are great. Last month, during the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF), she helped make school history when she and two others – Isabelle Balachandran and Natalia McMorris – became the first NRHS students to earn a spot in the highly competitive Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). That fair will take place next month.

Cao found that male doctors received more reviews than their female counterparts on sites such as Healthgrades.com and WebMD.

But there was no difference in the content of the reviews; the perceptions of the skills of male vs. female physicians were the same.

The results gave Cao some insight into her plans for the future, as she intends to pursue a career in the medical sciences.

“If I were to become a physician or surgeon, I would really want to know how patients perceived me as compared to male physicians,” she said.

The reception her study has received is an indication of its universal importance.

“My research provides insight on patient perceptions of female physicians, and could help to improve bias detection in these websites in the future,” Cao said.