Moms in Medicine: Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction Among Physician-Mothers in Obstetrics & Gynecology [11G

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Physician satisfaction is linked to improved patient outcomes. While the proportion of physicians who are also mothers is increasing, little information is available regarding the impact of motherhood on physician satisfaction. Our study aims to assess factors that affect physician satisfaction among ob/gyn physicians who are also mothers. METHODS: We constructed and validated a Redcap survey and invited members of an online ob/gyn-mom group to participate. Characteristics of participants’ professional and personal lives were evaluated for possible association with the satisfaction outcomes. These characteristics were reported as frequency (%) or mean (standard error). Comparison testing was performed using Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, Student’s t-test for parametric variables, and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test for non-parametric variables. RESULTS: Responses were received from 232 participants. Women who rated their morale as very or somewhat positive worked fewer hours per week than women who with neutral or negative responses (43.6 vs 49.7, p=0.01). Women with positive morale were also less likely to work over 50 h/week (39.5% vs 56.8%, p=0.04). Women who said they would chose medicine again as a career were more likely to have a physician-spouse (29.8% vs 7.7%, p=0.01) and were more likely to use a nanny/au-pair for childcare (45.1% vs 13.9%, p=0.01). Longer clinical hours, especially over 50 h/week, correlated with dissatisfaction regarding time spent with children, spouse, and on personal activities. CONCLUSION: Longer clinical hours strongly correlate with personal and professional satisfaction based on several measurements. Spouse occupation and childcare method may also contribute to satisfaction.