Women physicians in dual-physician relationships compared with those in other dual-career relationships

Abstract

This study compared the career and domestic responsibilities of women physicians whose domestic partners were physicians (WP-Ps) with those of women physicians whose domestic partners were not physicians (WP-NPs). In 1988 the authors surveyed 602 women physicians in a large midwestern city regarding their career and domestic roles; 390 were physicians in training (students and residents), and 212 were physicians in practice (academic medicine and private practice). Overall, 382 (63%) responded; of the 382, 247 (65%) had domestic partners; of these 247, 91 (37%) were WP-Ps and 156 (63%) were WP-NPs. The WP-Ps were found to be twice as likely as the WP-NPs to interrupt their careers to accommodate their partners' careers. The WP-Ps also assumed significantly more domestic responsibilities and worked fewer hours practicing medicine than did the WP-NPs. The 163 women physicians in training (44-48%-of the WP-Ps and 119-76%-of the WP-NPs) demonstrated a more egalitarian division of labor overall, with no significant differences between the WP-Ps and the WP-NPs. The authors recommend that longitudinal studies be undertaken to determine whether women physicians in training continue this trend as they enter the practice of medicine.

Dual-earner couples and the decision to work less: A conceptual model

“…What then happens in couples where power is relatively equal? In one study the sample was 247 full-time-employed female physicians who were either married to male physicians (n = 9 1) or married to male professionals who were not physicians (n = 156) (Tesch, Osborne, Simpson, Murray & Spiro, 1992). Female physicians whose partners were physicians worked on average 9 hours per week less than their husbands and were more than twice as likely to interrupt their careers compared to the female physicians whose partners were not physicians: 25% versus 11% (p< 0.05).…”

The impact of gender and parenthood on physicians' careers - professional and personal situation seven years after graduation

“…Looking back over the decades of the last century, it is noticeable that female doctors were often not married or, if they were married, they tended to have fewer children than their male counterparts. If they did have a family, they often did not specialize, cutting back on their professional career or opting for a career break potentially of several years' duration [4,5]. Nowadays, most female doctors complete a specialty qualification, live in a relationship with a partner and have children as often as their male colleagues; they do not drop out after childbirth, but continue working, although in most cases part-time [6,7].…”

Protecting the Public: State Medical Board Licensure Policies for Active and Inactive Physicians

“…However, each has its limitations, and a comprehensive picture of inactivity for physicians as a whole or by specialty is still lacking. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics reported in 2008 that 22.0% of female pediatricians and 6.5% of male pediatricians over the age of 50 years had taken an extended leave of absence of Ն6 months from clinical practice during their careers. 3 Several studies have suggested that health-related issues, including substance abuse disorders, mental health issues, and physical illness, may contribute to extended absences and, therefore, clinical inactivity.…”