Predictors of achievement in academic medicine.

Abstract

<h3>In Reply.</h3> —Drs Fullilove, Fullilove, McCally, and Cassel are right to point out limitations in generalizability imposed by the composition of the cohort. Over 98% of the cohort is white; medical students of Asian ancestry account for most of the remainder. Thus, we were unable to examine predictors of achievement in racial subgroups. The cohort does include, however, 121 women who were the subject of two prior investigations regarding career choice and career achievement.^1,2Of the 108 women (89%) who completed medical school and practiced medicine, 37 (34%) pursued academic careers. By 1985, seven (19%) of the academicians had achieved the rank of full professor. In comparison, male graduates were somewhat more likely to choose academic careers (45%) and much more likely to achieve the rank of professor, chairman, chief, or dean by 1990 (63%). Moreover, there were gender differences in the relationship of personal factors, such as marital