Purpose <p>Gender disparities have been identified in surgical resident teaching award distribution. In teaching evaluations more broadly, a shifting standards theory (SST), where female educators are held to a different standard than men, has been described. Qualitative analysis of resident and faculty teaching award nominations has been performed previously; however, qualitative analysis of students’ nominations of residents for teaching awards by gender has not yet been explored.</p> Methods <p>Nominations for resident teaching awards from the past four years at a single institution were grouped by resident gender. Nominations were then analyzed for thematic content via inductive coding methods using MAXQDA software. Percentages of coded text were compared by gender.</p> Results <p>All residents identified as male or female. 30 nominations (13 male, 17 female) were analyzed. The following themes were identified: (1) Inclusivity (2) Commitment to teaching (3) Teaching Efficacy (4) Approval of resident/role modeling. Many categories were similar for all residents. Notable areas that differed by gender included: female residents were more likely to be described as kind or approachable, and were more commonly described as teaching a specific skill. Male residents were more likely to be described as incorporating the med student into the team, and were more commonly mentioned for teaching in the OR. Male residents also more frequently received unsubstantiated nominations.</p> Conclusion <p>This analysis of medical student nominations for resident teaching awards shows areas of thematic difference between male and female surgical residents and provides insight into how learners may assess teaching skills differently by gender. This suggests that the previously described SST model may apply to resident educators as well.</p>