Associations Between Career Satisfaction, Personal Life Factors, and Work-Life Integration Practices Among US Surgeons by Gender

Importance Burnout among US surgeons is alarmingly high, particularly among women, and work-life integration conflicts contribute to career dissatisfaction. Objective To evaluate associations between surgical career satisfaction and personal life factors such as time requirements for outside interests, household chores, and parenting responsibilities and to explore similarities and differences between men and women. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional survey study of practicing US surgeons was conducted between June 4 and August 1, 2018. The 257-item online survey was sent to 25.748 fellows of the American College of Surgeons. A 31-item subanalysis was performed from August 13 to November 4, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Degree of career satisfaction was measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Professional and personal life factors associated with career satisfaction were evaluated with gender-stratified multivariable proportional odds models. Results Among 3807 respondents, 3166 self-identified as male (83%) and 639 (17%) as female. Fewer women reported career satisfaction (483 [77%] vs 2514 [82%]) and relatively more women reported problematic interruption of personal life owing to work (315 [50%] vs 1381 [45%]). A higher proportion of women reported being primarily responsible for meal preparation (282 [46%] vs 355 [12%]) and housekeeping (149 [24%] vs 161 [5%]). On multivariable analyses, factors independently associated with career satisfaction were generally similar between genders. Stronger collegial support of work-life integration efforts was significantly associated with higher career satisfaction for both genders (P < .001), although the odds ratio (OR) for women was higher than for men (OR, 4.52; 95% CI, 2.60-7.87 vs OR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.88-3.21). For men and women, increasing age was significantly associated with higher career satisfaction (men: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05; P < .001; women: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.06; P = .001), and insufficient time for family owing to work was associated with lower satisfaction (men: OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.90; P = 009; women: OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.30-0.81; P = .006). For women only, there was a significant association between primary responsibility for at least 1 household chore and lower career satisfaction (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45-0.98; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, although women had relatively lower surgical career satisfaction than men, the associations between career satisfaction and personal life factors were largely similar. Collegial support of work-life integration efforts appeared to be the most influential factor, particularly for women. Optimization of work-life integration may not only decrease physician burnout but also promote gender equity in surgery. This survey study evaluates the association between surgical career satisfaction and personal life factors and explores similarities between men and women surgeons. Question How are personal life factors such as time requirements for outside interests, household chores, and parenting responsibilities associated with surgical career satisfaction, and does this vary by gender? Findings In this national survey of practicing surgeons, women reported significantly lower career satisfaction than men (483 [77%] vs 2514 [82%]), but associations between personal life factors and career satisfaction were largely similar between genders. Collegial support of work-life integration efforts had the strongest association with higher career satisfaction (men: odds ratio, 2.5 vs women: odds ratio, 4.5). Meaning Cultivation of a supportive workplace culture may mitigate burnout and promote gender equity in surgery.