Clinical surgery-International
Practice patterns and career satisfaction of Canadian female general surgeons

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2008.03.006Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

We wanted to study how female general surgeons in Canada manage lifestyle and career demands.

Methods

All female Canadian general surgeons registered with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada were asked to complete a survey evaluating their practice patterns, personal lives, and levels of satisfaction related to these factors.

Results

Eighty-five surveys (66%) were returned. Most respondents work in full-time clinical practices. While it was rare to find women in part-time or shared practices, 35% of women reported interest in these alternative models. Respondents described the necessary factors for a transition into alternative models. Job satisfaction was high (3.8 out of 5), with personal and parenting satisfaction being less highly rated (3.3 and 3.2, respectively).

Conclusions

Canadian female general surgeons have active and satisfying careers, although many would like to work in alternative practice models that better conform to their lifestyle demands. This pressure will have a significant impact on the future surgical workforce.

Section snippets

Methods

The study population consisted of all practicing Canadian female general surgeons registered with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Names and mailing addresses were obtained from this database. Registration with the College is a requirement of practice in Canada. Rare exceptions are made for extremely underserviced regions of the country. All those registered with the college in February 2006 were offered participation in the study.

The questionnaire was designed to obtain

Study population

Surveys were sent to 132 women. Three people were found to have retired from general surgery practice, leaving 129 potential participants. After two mail-outs, 85 surveys were returned, giving a response rate of 66%. Response rates were similar across all geographic regions of the country.

Forty-nine percent had completed residency within the previous 10 years, with the remainder being more than 10 years out from residency. The age of participants was broadly distributed: 40% were 30–39 years

Comments

The results of this survey demonstrate that Canadian female general surgeons are an active part of our medical workforce. They are usually found in full-time clinical practices, working a similar amount as their male colleagues. The integration of women into this workforce has meant that most have conformed to traditional practice models. However, 35% of respondents to our survey would like to investigate new practice models.

A population-based study of Canadian women in all surgical specialties

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    Among responders, 36% were women. This compares well to the portion of female Canadian general surgeons.8 Marriage and parenthood can affect how physicians experience professional stress.9

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