Generational and gender perspectives on career flexibility: ensuring the faculty workforce of the future

A narrative review of occupational scheduling that impacts fatigue and recovery relevant to veterinarian well-being

Background

Sleep insufficiency is a worldwide affliction with serious implications for mental and physical health. Occupational factors play a large role in determining sleep habits. Healthcare workers are particularly susceptible to job-mediated sleep insufficiency and inadequate rest in general. Little is published on sleep practices among veterinarians, and overall recognition of the impacts of inadequate rest within the veterinary profession is poor.

Objectives and procedures

This review describes occupational factors affecting sufficiency of rest and recovery, reviews veterinary-specific and relevant adjacent literature pertaining to sleep patterns, and discusses potential solutions for addressing occupational schedules contributing to sleep insufficiency and inadequate rest. Online databases were searched to extract contemporary literature pertaining to sleep, insufficient rest, and occupational factors, with a focus on veterinary medicine and other healthcare sectors.

Results

Occupational factors leading to inadequate rest among healthcare workers include excessive workloads, extended workdays, cumulative days of heavy work hours, and after-hours on-call duty. These factors are prevalent within the veterinary profession and may contribute to widespread insufficient rest and the resulting negative impacts on health and well-being among veterinarians.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

Sufficient sleep quantity and quality are critical to physical and mental health and are negatively affected by many aspects of the veterinary profession. Critical review of current strategies employed in clinical practice is essential to promote professional fulfillment, health, and well-being among veterinarians.

Policies, Practices, and Attitudes Related to Parental Leave for Practicing Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeons

BACKGROUND

Parental leave impacts family engagement, bonding, stress, and happiness. Because parental leave benefits are important to all surgeons regardless of sex, understanding parental leave practices in pediatric orthopaedic surgery is critical to promote equity within the profession and supporting balance in work and family life. The aim of this study was to survey pediatric orthopaedic surgeons about their knowledge of parental leave policies, attitudes towards parental leave, and their individual experiences taking leave.

METHODS

A 34-question anonymous survey was distributed to the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America membership. Eligible respondents were attending pediatric orthopaedic surgeons practicing in the United States or Canada. The survey gathered information about employer parental leave policies, perceptions about and experiences with parental leave while practicing as a surgeon, and demographic information about respondents.

RESULTS

A total of 77 responses were completed and used for analysis. Most respondents were men (59.7%), <50 years old (67.5%), married (90.9%), and in urban communities (75.3%). A large majority were practicing in the United States (97.4%). Most respondents were unfamiliar with employer parental leave policies (maternity: 53.3%; paternity: 67.5%; and adoption: 85.7%). Those familiar with policies reported that employers offered 7 to 12 weeks for maternity leave (45.7%) and <1 week for paternity leave (50%) and adoption leave (45.5%). Most respondents believed 7 to 12 weeks should be offered for maternity leave (66.2%), 1 to 6 weeks for paternity leave (54.6%), and 7 to 12 weeks for adoption leave (46.8%). Many respondents reported taking 1 to 6 weeks of parental leave as a surgeon (53.3%) and that their colleagues were supportive of their parental leave (40.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Most pediatric orthopaedic surgeons were unfamiliar with parental leave benefits provided by employers. Respondents who were familiar with these policies believed that more parental leave should be provided, especially for men who may feel social pressure to take less time for leave. Although respondents reported that their work environments were supportive, this study identified opportunities for improvement to support surgeons who wish to balance parental experiences with work responsibilities.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V.

United States Medical School Academic Faculty Workforce Diversity, Institutional Characteristics, and Geographical Distributions From 2014-2018

Purpose

Academic healthcare workforce diversity is important in addressing health disparities. Our goal was to evaluate trends and associations in faculty diversity of United States (US) medical schools over a five-year period.

Methods

We analyzed the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster data of 151 US medical schools from 2014-2018. Outcome faculty variables were female gender, underrepresented in medicine (UiM), age, and professorial representation. Predictor variables included geographical distributions, and institutional characteristics. Statistical analysis included Jonckheere-Terpstra test, ANOVA, and regression analysis.

Results

Female faculty increased from 37.6% to 40.4% (p<0.001), senior faculty (age >60 years) from 22.6% to 25.9% (p=0.001) while UiM faculty stayed relatively flat from 9.74% to 10.08% (p=0.773). UiM [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.39, p=0.015], and female faculty (aOR=0.3, p=0.001) had independently significantly decreased associations with professorial representation, while senior faculty had increased associations (aOR=3.82, p<0.001). Significant independent differences occurred in female, UiM, and professorial faculty distributions within US regions; Hispanic faculty were highest in Southwest (6.57%) and lowest in Midwest region (1.59%), while African-American faculty were highest in Southeast (8.15%) but lowest in the West (3.12%). UiM faculty had significantly independent decreased associations with MD/PhD degree (aOR=0.30, p=0.004) and higher US ranking institutions (aOR=0.45, p=0.009).

Conclusions

From 2014 to 2018, female faculty increased modestly while the UiM faculty trend remained flat. Female and UiM faculty were less represented at the professor level. UiM faculty were less represented in higher-ranking institutions. Geographic location is associated with faculty diversity.

Navigating parental leave as a leader in radiology: Commentary on challenges and strategies

Navigating parental leave can be challenging in all fields of medicine, but it can be especially challenging for leaders balancing clinical, research, and administrative duties. As women take on more leadership roles, we have the opportunity to better define the current challenges and identify potential strategies for navigating successful parental leave while balancing the demands of leadership. This manuscript provides a commentary on the challenges and strategies for navigating parental leave in leadership positions in radiology, an important topic for shaping how parental leave is both viewed and valued in the future. Specifically, we highlight challenges and strategies for administrative responsibilities, reporting personnel, emails, microaggressions, research, empowerment, and prioritization.

Work-Life Conflict and Its Health Effects on Korean Gastroenterologists According to Age and Sex

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the work-life pattern and prevalence of occupation-related symptoms, as well as the effect of work-life balance on health status according to age and sex among Korean gastroenterologists.

METHODS

A total of 222 gastroenterologists from 44 nationwide centers in South Korea participated in an anonymized self-responded electronic questionnaire survey about their daily activities and symptoms for 14 days. Musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and mental symptoms were scored using a numerical scale. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to measure the burnout score.

RESULTS

Korean gastroenterologists (124 men and 98 women) spent 71.5 ± 19.0 h/week for work (54.0 ± 16.2 in-hospital and 17.5 ± 9.5 out-of-hospital), without any differences regarding sex. However, women spent more time performing housework and parenting (20.7 ± 19.0) compared to men (14.3 ± 13.3, P = 0.007). Musculoskeletal pain was found in 199 respondents (89.6%), and women had a higher total pain score compared to men in all age groups (P = 0.016). Gastrointestinal and mental symptoms were found in 119 (53.6%) and 153 (68.9%), respectively. Work-life ratio was significantly correlated with musculoskeletal (P < 0.001), gastrointestinal (P = 0.048) and mental symptoms (P = 0.003). Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, 64.4% of the respondents demonstrated burnout. Moreover, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment scores were worst in women in their 30s or 40s.

CONCLUSION

Korean gastroenterologists suffered from musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and mental symptoms and were highly prone to burnout due to long and laboring work. Work-life imbalance and burnout were most severe in young women doctors due to their domestic demands.

The role of mentors in addressing issues of work-life integration in an academic research environment

Introduction:

There is growing evidence for both the need to manage work–life conflict and the opportunity for mentors to advise their mentees on how to do this in an academic research environment.

Methods:

A multiphase approach was used to develop and implement an evidence-informed training module to help mentors guide their mentees in issues of work–life conflict. Analysis of existing data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a mentor training curriculum (n = 283 mentor/mentee dyads) informed the development of a work–life mentoring module which was incorporated into an established research mentor training curriculum and evaluated by faculty at a single academic medical center.

Results:

Only 39% of mentors and 36% of mentees in the RCT indicated high satisfaction with the balance between their personal and professional lives. The majority (75%) of mentors and mentees were sharing personal information as part of the mentoring relationship which was significantly associated with mentees’ ratings of the balance between their personal and professional lives. The effectiveness of the work–life module was assessed by 60 faculty mentors participating in a mentor training program at an academic medical center from 2013 to 2017. Among the respondents to the post-training survey, 82.5% indicated they were very/somewhat comfortable addressing work–life issues with their mentees as a result of the training, with significant improvements (p = 0.001) in self-assessments of mentoring skill in this domain.

Conclusions:

Our findings indicate that a structured training approach can significantly improve mentors’ self-reported skills in addressing work–life issues with their mentees.

A Summary Report from the Research Partnership on Women in Science Careers

BACKGROUND

In response to the landmark report "Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering," the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health issued a request for applications that funded 14 R01 grants to investigate causal factors to career success for women in STEM. Following completion of the 4-year grants, the grant PIs formed a grassroots collaborative, the Research Partnership on Women in Science Careers.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the work of the Research Partnership, which resulted in over 100 publications.

METHODS

We developed six themes to organize the publications, with a "Best Practices" for each theme at the end of each section: Barriers to Career Advancement; Mentoring, Coaching, and Sponsorship; Career Flexibility and Work-Life Balance; Pathways to Leadership; Compensation Equity; and Advocating for Change and Stakeholder Engagement.

RESULTS

Women still contend with sexual harassment, stereotype threat, a disproportionate burden of family responsibilities, a lack of parity in compensation and resource allocation, and implicit bias. Strategies to address these barriers using the Bronfenbrenner ecological model at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, academic community, and policy levels include effective mentoring and coaching, having a strong publication record, addressing prescriptive gender norms, positive counter-stereotype imaging, career development training, networking, and external career programs such as the AAMC Early and Mid-Career Programs and Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM).

CONCLUSIONS

Cultural transformation is needed to address the barriers to career advancement for women. Implementing the best practices noted of the work of the Research Partnership can help to achieve this goal.

Deciding to lead: a qualitative study of women leaders in emergency medicine

Background

The aim of this study is to highlight career paths of senior women leaders in academic emergency medicine (EM) to encourage younger women to pursue leadership.

Methods

This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with female EM leaders. We interviewed 22 recognized female leaders selected using criterion-based sampling and a standardized script of open-ended questions derived from the Intelligent Career Model. Questions were related to job purpose, skills, and networking. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and three trained reviewers analyzed transcripts following grounded theory principles and using Dedoose®. Researchers used an iterative process over several meetings to produce the final set of codes and themes.

Results

Our iterative process identified four themes: women leaders made an intentional decision to pursue opportunities to influence emergency medicine, women sought out natural mentors and sponsors to facilitate career development, women leaders intentionally planned their out of work life to support their leadership role, and an important focus for their work was to help others achieve excellence.

Conclusions

Our study provides insights from senior female leaders in EM; supporting the value of women pursuing leadership. There is a widely acknowledged need to diversify leadership and support gender-specific needs to develop women leaders in medicine. Becoming a woman leader in EM means making intentional decisions and taking risks. Leaders found benefits in natural mentors and sponsors. Those relationships have power to change the trajectory of emerging women leaders by identifying and reinforcing potential. Work/life balance remains an area which requires intentional planning. Woman leaders encourage succession planning and corroborate the need for increasing the percentage of women leaders to benefit the organizational culture. Leadership in academic medicine is changing with reorientation of a largely autocratic, vertically oriented hierarchy into a more democratic, consensus-driven, and horizontally organized management structure which should complement the strengths women bring to the leadership table.

Papanicolaou Address: Why the next generation should take this journey and overcome constraint

Cytopathology is experiencing many forces that are changing and constraining current practice, including the need for cost efficiencies, new technologies, expectations for higher quality and faster turnaround time, and a diminishing workforce. Two "hot topics" that will have considerable influence on the changes in the future practice of cytopathology are artificial intelligence and optimization of cervical screening intervals and methods. The future growth and success of the cytopathology subspecialty will require using constraint as a catalyst to achieve transformative solutions, as well as an optimistic "we can if…" entrepreneurial attitude. Success will also require living the field's traditions and values: mentorship, sponsorship, innovation and creativity, a willingness to assume new roles, and the ability to network and support career journeys through active participation in a professional society.

Congratulations, You're Pregnant! Now About Your Shifts . . . : The State of Maternity Leave Attitudes and Culture in EM

INTRODUCTION

Increasing attention has been focused on parental leave, but little is known about early leave and parental experiences for male and female attending physicians. Our goal was to describe and quantify the parental leave experiences of a nationally representative sample of emergency physicians (EP).

METHODS

We conducted a web-based survey, distributed via emergency medicine professional organizations, discussion boards, and listservs, to address study objectives.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 464 respondents; 56% were women. Most experienced childbirth while employed as an EP. Fifty-three percent of women and 60% of men reported working in a setting with a formal maternity leave policy; however, 36% of women and 18% of men reported dissatisfaction with these policies. Most reported that other group members cover maternity-related shift vacancies; a minority reported that pregnant partners work extra shifts prior to leave. Leave duration and compensation varied widely, ranging from no compensated leave (18%) to 12 or more weeks at 100% salary (7%). Supportive attitudes were reported during pregnancy (53%) and, to a lesser degree (43%), during leave. Policy improvement suggestions included the development of clear, formal policies; improving leave duration and compensation; adding paternity and adoption leave; providing support for physicians working extra to cover colleagues' leave; and addressing breastfeeding issues.

CONCLUSION

In this national sample of EPs, maternity leave policies varied widely. The duration and compensation during leave also had significant variation. Participants suggested formalizing policies, increasing leave duration and compensation, adding paternity leave, and changing the coverage for vacancies to relieve burden on physician colleagues.

Evaluating a Medical School's Climate for Women's Success: Outcomes for Faculty Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion

OBJECTIVE

Women are under-represented in academia. Causative factors include challenges of career-family integration. We evaluated factors reflecting institutional culture (promotion, retention, hiring, and biasing language in promotion letters) as part of an intervention to help shift culture and raise awareness of flexibility policies at the University of California, Davis (UCD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data on faculty use of family-friendly policies were obtained at baseline, and surveys for policy awareness were conducted pre(2010)/post(2013) an NIH-funded study educational intervention. Data on hires, separations, and promotions were obtained pre(2007-2009, 2234 person-year data points)/post(2010-2012, 2384 person-year data points) intervention and compared by logistic regression and for gender differences. Department promotion letters (53) were also analyzed for biasing language.

RESULTS

Policy use was overall low, highest for female assistant professors, and for maternity leave. Awareness significantly increased for all policies postintervention. Promotions decreased, likely because of increases in advancement deferrals or tenure clock extensions. Pre/postintervention, female and male hires were near parity for assistant professors, but female hires were substantially lower than males for associate (54% less likely, p = 0.03) and full professors (70% less likely, p = 0.002). Once hired, women were no more likely to separate than men. Fewer associate/full professors separated than assistant professors (p = 0.002, p < 0.001, respectively), regardless of gender. Language in promotion letters was not gender biased.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate a shift at UCD toward a culture of work-life flexibility, an environment in which letters of recommendation show very few biased descriptions, and in which assistant professor hiring is gender equitable. At the same time, a decrease in number of faculty members applying for promotion and an imbalance of men over women at senior hires independent of policy awareness may challenge the assumption that family-friendly policies, while promoting flexibility, also have a positive impact on professional advancement.

Parental satisfaction of U.S. physicians: associated factors and comparison with the general U.S. working population

BACKGROUND

Physicians work considerably longer hours and are less satisfied with work-life balance than U.S. workers in other fields. There is, however, minimal data on physicians' parental satisfaction.

METHODS

To evaluate differences in parental satisfaction among physicians and workers in other fields, we surveyed U.S. physicians as well as a probability-based sample of the general U.S. working population between August 2014-October 2014. Parental satisfaction and the perceived impact of career on relationships with children were evaluated.

RESULTS

Among 6880 responding physicians (cooperation rate 19.2 %), 5582 (81.1 %) had children. Overall, physicians were satisfied in their relationships with their children, with 4782 (85.9 %) indicating that they were either very satisfied [n = 2738; (49.2 %)] or satisfied [n = 2044 (36.7 %)]. In contrast, less than half believed their career had made either a major [n = 1212; (21.8 %)] or minor positive [n = 1260; (22.7 %)] impact on their relationship with their children, with a slightly larger proportion indicating a major (n = 2071 [37.2 %]) or minor (n = 501 [9 %]) negative impact. Women physicians were less likely to believe their career had made a positive impact as were younger physicians. Hours worked/week inversely correlated with the belief that career had made a positive impact on relationships with children. Both men (OR: 2.75; p < 0.0001) and women (OR: 4.33; p < 0.0001) physicians were significantly more likely to report that their career had a negative impact on relationships with their children than the sex-matched U.S. working population.

CONCLUSIONS

U.S. physicians report generally high satisfaction in their relationships with their children. Despite their high satisfaction, physicians have a more negative perception of the impact of their career on relationships with their children than U.S. workers in general.

Women's Careers in Biomedical Sciences: Implications for the Economy, Scientific Discovery, and Women's Health

While women have been well represented in medical school and biomedical doctoral degree programs, they do not comprise half of academic medicine faculty positions. Furthermore, there is a significant paucity of women in academic medicine leadership positions, as evidenced by the fact that only 16% of dean positions at United States Medical schools are filled by women. In this commentary, the authors review the state of women in academic medicine and argue that increased representation of women in the academic workforce will lead to economic gains, increased scientific discovery, and improvements to women's health.

Programmatic Efforts at the National Institutes of Health to Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical Science

Although women have reached parity at the training level in the biological sciences and medicine, they are still significantly underrepresented in the professoriate and in mid- and senior-level life science positions. Considerable effort has been devoted by individuals and organizations across science sectors to understanding this disparity and to developing interventions in support of women's career development. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) formed the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) in 1990 with the goals of supporting initiatives to improve women's health and providing opportunities and support for the recruitment, retention, reentry, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical careers. Here, the authors review several accomplishments and flagship activities initiated by the NIH and ORWH in support of women's career development during this time. These include programming to support researchers returning to the workforce after a period away (Research Supplements to Promote Reentry into Biomedical and Behavioral Research Careers), career development awards made through the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health program, and trans-NIH involvement and activities stemming from the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. These innovative programs have contributed to advancement of women by supporting the professional and personal needs of women in science. The authors discuss the unique opportunities that accompany NIH partnerships with the scientific community, and conclude with a summary of the impact of these programs on women in science.

The Role of Compensation Criteria to Minimize Face-Time Bias and Support Faculty Career Flexibility: An Approach to Enhance Career Satisfaction in Academic Pathology

Work-life balance is important to recruitment and retention of the younger generation of medical faculty, but medical school flexibility policies have not been fully effective. We have reported that our school's policies are underutilized due to faculty concerns about looking uncommitted to career or team. Since policies include leaves and accommodations that reduce physical presence, faculty may fear "face-time bias," which negatively affects evaluation of those not "seen" at work. Face-time bias is reported to negatively affect salary and career progress. We explored face-time bias on a leadership level and described development of compensation criteria intended to mitigate face-time bias, raise visibility, and reward commitment and contribution to team/group goals. Leaders from 6 partner departments participated in standardized interviews and group meetings. Ten compensation plans were analyzed, and published literature was reviewed. Leaders did not perceive face-time issues but saw team pressure and perception of availability as performance motivators. Compensation plans were multifactor productivity based with many quantifiable criteria; few addressed team contributions. Using these findings, novel compensation criteria were developed based on a published model to mitigate face-time bias associated with team perceptions. Criteria for organizational citizenship to raise visibility and reward group outcomes were included. We conclude that team pressure and perception of availability have the potential to lead to bias and may contribute to underuse of flexibility policies. Recognizing organizational citizenship and cooperative effort via specific criteria in a compensation plan may enhance a culture of flexibility. These novel criteria have been effective in one pilot department.

The Role of Compensation Criteria to Minimize Face-Time Bias and Support Faculty Career Flexibility: An Approach to Enhance Career Satisfaction in Academic Pathology

Work-life balance is important to recruitment and retention of the younger generation of medical faculty, but medical school flexibility policies have not been fully effective. We have reported that our school's policies are underutilized due to faculty concerns about looking uncommitted to career or team. Since policies include leaves and accommodations that reduce physical presence, faculty may fear "face-time bias," which negatively affects evaluation of those not "seen" at work. Face-time bias is reported to negatively affect salary and career progress. We explored face-time bias on a leadership level and described development of compensation criteria intended to mitigate face-time bias, raise visibility, and reward commitment and contribution to team/group goals. Leaders from 6 partner departments participated in standardized interviews and group meetings. Ten compensation plans were analyzed, and published literature was reviewed. Leaders did not perceive face-time issues but saw team pressure and perception of availability as performance motivators. Compensation plans were multifactor productivity based with many quantifiable criteria; few addressed team contributions. Using these findings, novel compensation criteria were developed based on a published model to mitigate face-time bias associated with team perceptions. Criteria for organizational citizenship to raise visibility and reward group outcomes were included. We conclude that team pressure and perception of availability have the potential to lead to bias and may contribute to underuse of flexibility policies. Recognizing organizational citizenship and cooperative effort via specific criteria in a compensation plan may enhance a culture of flexibility. These novel criteria have been effective in one pilot department.

Do Family Responsibilities and a Clinical Versus Research Faculty Position Affect Satisfaction with Career and Work-Life Balance for Medical School Faculty?

BACKGROUND

Balancing career and family obligations poses challenges to medical school faculty and contributes to dissatisfaction and attrition from academics. We examined the relationship between family setting and responsibilities, rank, and career and work-life satisfaction for faculty in a large U.S. medical school.

METHODS

Baseline faculty surveys were analyzed from the first year of a 4-year National Institutes of Health-funded study to evaluate awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and use of family friendly policies and career satisfaction. The study focus was on the impact of family responsibilities and characteristics of the faculty position (rank, clinical vs. nonclinical, and academic series) in multivariate comparisons between primary predictors and outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

Both clinical and family responsibilities for children under 18 play a major and interacting role in satisfaction with career and work-life balance. Clinical faculty respondents without children at home reported significantly greater career satisfaction and better work-life balance than their nonclinical counterparts. Nonclinical faculty respondents with children reported greater satisfaction and better balance than counterparts without family responsibilities. However, the advantage in career satisfaction and work-life balance for clinical faculty respondents disappeared for those with responsibility for young children. No gender-based differences were noted in the results or across faculty rank for respondents; however, for women, reaching associate professor resulted in greater career satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that both work-related factors and family responsibilities influence satisfaction with career and work-life balance, but the predictors appear to interact in complex and nuanced ways. Further research is needed to delineate more clearly these interactions and to explore other factors that may play important additional roles.

Sex Differences in Workplace Satisfaction and Engagement of Academic Pathologists: Opportunities to Enhance Faculty Diversity

Context

There is attrition of women across professorial ranks in academic pathology. Women are underrepresented as leaders; 15.4% of academic pathology departments are chaired by women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

Objective

To identify areas for targeted interventions that can advance academic and leadership development of women faculty by examining (1) sex differences in career satisfaction in US medical school pathology departments participating in the AAMC's Faculty Forward Engagement Survey, and (2) findings from a survey of the Association of Pathology Chairs (APC).

Design

The AAMC Faculty Forward Engagement Survey data are from 14 US medical schools participating in the 2011–2012 survey. Pathologists' response rate was 66% (461 of 697). To investigate sex differences, t tests and χ2 analyses were used. The APC survey, administered to academic department chairs, had a 55% response rate (104 of 189).

Results

According to the Faculty Forward Engagement Survey, women report more time in patient care and less time in research. Women consider formal mentorship, feedback, and career advancement more important than men do and are less satisfied with communication and governance. The APC survey shows that 20% to 40% of nonchair department leaders are women. More than half of chairs report satisfaction with the sex diversity of their departmental leaders.

Conclusion

Opportunities exist for department chairs and professional organizations to create targeted interventions to support career satisfaction, recruitment, retention, and career and leadership development for women in academic pathology. Although chairs report satisfaction with diversity within department leadership, responses of women faculty indicate there is work to be done to grow more women leaders.

Attracting STEM talent: do STEM students prefer traditional or work/life-interaction labs?

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view – lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment.

Knowledge and perceptions of family leave policies among female faculty in academic medicine

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this research was to examine the knowledge and perceptions of family leave policies and practices among senior leaders including American Association of Medical College members of the Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) to identify perceived barriers to career success and satisfaction among female faculty.

METHODS

In 2011 and 2012, GWIMS representatives and senior leaders at 24 medical schools were invited to participate in an interview about faculty perceptions of gender equity and overall institutional climate. An inductive, thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted to identify themes represented in participant responses. The research team read and reviewed institutional family leave policies for concordance with key informant descriptions.

FINDINGS

There were 22 GWIMS representatives and senior leaders in the final sample. Participants were all female; 18 (82%) were full professors with the remainder being associate professors. Compared with publicly available policies at each institution, the knowledge of nine participants was consistent with policies, was discrepant for six, with the remaining seven acknowledging a lack of knowledge of policies. Four major themes were identified from the interview data: 1) Framing family leave as a personal issue undermines its effect on female faculty success; 2) poor communication of policies impairs access and affects organizational climate; 3) discrepancies in leave implementation disadvantage certain faculty in terms of time and pay; and 4) leave policies are valued and directly related to academic productivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Family leave policies are an important aspect of faculty satisfaction and academic success, yet policy awareness among senior leaders is lacking. Further organizational support is needed to promote equitable policy creation and implementation to support women in medical academia.

Turn-over rate of academic faculty at the College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University: a 20-year analysis (1991 to 2011)

BACKGROUND

Faculty turn-over affects both workers and organizations. Turnover of faculty and researchers is increasing alarmingly and costing the universities and the country at large. Fast turnover of health professionals from the health system and from academic institutions has recently received substantial attention from both academia and health sector managers. This paper calculates the faculty turnover rate at the College of Health Sciences of Addis Ababa University during the period of September 1991 to August 2011.

METHODS

The study was conducted at the College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University. Retrospective analysis of employee records was done. All records of the faculty that were working in the College during the 20-year period, starting from September 1991 to August 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected from the employee records accessed from the College's human resources database and supplemented by payroll sheets and different reports. A structured checklist was used to extract the required data from the database. The crude turnover rate for academic faculty was calculated.

RESULTS

Within the 20-year period of September 1991 to August 2011, a total of 120 faculty members left. The overall turn-over rate was 92.8 %. The rate in the most recent five years (172 %) is 8.5 times higher than the rate for the first five years (20 %). The average retention period before the termination of an employment contract was 4.9 years. The top five departments where employment contracts were relatively higher include: Nursing 15 (15.6 %), Internal Medicine 12 (12.5%), Public Health 10 (10.4%), Pediatrics 9 (9.4%) and Surgery 9 (9.4%). About two thirds (66.6%) of the faculty who were leaving were at the ranks of assistant professorship and above.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that outflow of faculty has been continuously increasing in the period reviewed. This implies that the College had been losing highly skilled professionals with considerably higher costs in monetary terms. In this regard, an urgent response is required to retain or significantly decrease the outflow of faculty. Different motivation and retention mechanisms should be identified and implemented. Various modalities of faculty development programs should also be initiated.

Improving knowledge, awareness, and use of flexible career policies through an accelerator intervention at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

The challenges of balancing a career and family life disproportionately affect women in academic health sciences and medicine, contributing to their slower career advancement and/or their attrition from academia. In this article, the authors first describe their experiences at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine developing and implementing an innovative accelerator intervention designed to promote faculty work-life balance by improving knowledge, awareness, and access to comprehensive flexible career policies. They then summarize the results of two faculty surveys--one conducted before the implementation of their intervention and the second conducted one year into their three-year intervention--designed to assess faculty's use and intention to use the flexible career policies, their awareness of available options, barriers to their use of the policies, and their career satisfaction. The authors found that the intervention significantly increased awareness of the policies and attendance at related educational activities, improved attitudes toward the policies, and decreased perceived barriers to use. These results, however, were most pronounced for female faculty and faculty under the age of 50. The authors next discuss areas for future research on faculty use of flexible career policies and offer recommendations for other institutions of higher education--not just those in academic medicine--interested in implementing a similar intervention. They conclude that having flexible career policies alone is not enough to stem the attrition of female faculty. Such policies must be fully integrated into an institution's culture such that faculty are both aware of them and willing to use them.