Table 8.

Categories and issues for the theme, “Differential factors that may affect quality of life during medical residency for men versus women”

Category	Issues	Examples
Demands	External Institutional Societal Internal Personal life planning	“For a woman, it’s like constant, more is demanded of her than men, because, er, she has to be pretty, she has to smell good, she has to be well-dressed, she has to be nice. So, I think this exists and for a man, I think it’s more flexible.” “I feel that the residency itself doesn’t create a difference, it doesn’t distinguish between men and women, I think it's something that comes more from us.” “I think women care more, so they’re more concerned about the relationship in the sense of building a family. The guys only focus on their career, but women have their careers, their family “Oh, tidying up the house... I doubt if a man would waste time cleaning the floor and cleaning the bathroom.”
Biological factors	Menstrual period	“Oh, I also think the hormones are terrible!" “I think that, with PMS, quality of life gets worse ...”
Perception	Critical perception	“I think that women sometimes suffer more, are more into details, can perceive things better.”
Feelings	Expression Scrutinize Attachment to patients	“Men are less complicated, for sure, they don’t think about numerous things, men externalize less.” “I think women are much, much more sensitive, I think they suffer more, I think they get more attached. The threshold is much lower, like, I don’t see men... few of the male residents in our group care, as I see it, so, they don’t care, er, don’t get shaken.”
Relationships	Formation of groups	“They show greater facility at socializing, at dealing with differences, with everything. It’s something intrinsic to men, because with us, they really don’t even listen to what we say.”