Love in Medical School: Gender Roles Persist in Medical Students’ Romantic Experiences

Romantic relationships are important for well-being in early adulthood yet underexplored in medical training. This multi-institutional study is the first to investigate how gender influences romantic relationship experiences in medical school. From November 2023 to March 2025, a cross-sectional survey was distributed to students across eight medical schools in different regions of the United States. The study included 1,193 medical students (20.1% response rate). We analyzed relationship status, financial contributions and expectations, partner support, dating experiences, and breakup causes. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, t-tests, and two-way ANOVA to examine differences by gender. Participants were predominantly women (65.0%), aged 21-29 (94.0%), and White (61.9%). Most (66.6%) were in a relationship. Women were more often partnered than men (69.2% vs 62.6%, p = 0.03), particularly with non-medical partners (65.4% vs 48.6%, p < 0.01). Men reported higher financial contributions, and women valued partners’ future earning potential more. Women in relationships reported greater partner support for their education, but single women reported lower satisfaction with finding a relationship. More women than men cited the lack of good options as a reason for not seeking a partner. Findings highlighted that gender roles persisted in romantic relationship experiences among medical students.