[Analysis of career and life satisfaction of women residents with children during their postgraduate training compared to male colleagues: A longitudinal analysis as part of the KarMed study]

Abstract

Objective: Former results of the KarMed study revealed a significant decrease in the career satisfaction of female physicians with children in the course of their postgraduate training compared to male physicians with children. Yet, female physicians with children showed the highest scores on satisfaction with life at the fourth year of postgraduate training. The present study evaluates whether the different courses of career satisfaction and life satisfaction of female physicians compared to male physicians are caused by parental status.

Methods: Data were collected in the course of the KarMed study (2008-2016). A cross-lagged panel design was used to analyze data from T2 to T5.

Results: The results indicate an inverse association of career satisfaction with life satisfaction. Women physicians with a low level of career satisfaction were more likely to have children than those with a higher career satisfaction. Furthermore, we found a causal effect of parental status on career satisfaction in male physicians. For female physicians, yet not for male physicians, life satisfaction predicts the parental status.

Conclusions: The structural improvement in postgraduate training needs to be adjusted in terms of parental status. Prospective studies should take medical leave during pregnancy as well as parental leave of male medical residents into account.

Keywords: Berufsverlaufszufriedenheit; Career satisfaction; Facharztweiterbildung; Lebenszufriedenheit; Life satisfaction; Physicians; Postgraduate training; Residency; Ärzte; Ärztinnen.