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Research Study Investigates Attrition Rates Among Male and Female Physicians in US Academic Hospitals

Cassandra Kelleher, MD, and Ya-Wen Chen, MD, MPH, physician-scientists in the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, and both affiliated with Harvard Medical School, recently published a study in JAMA Network Open. The study, titled “Workforce Attrition Among Male and Female Physicians Working in US Academic Hospitals, 2014-2019,” explores the differences in attrition rates between male and female physicians in academia.

Investigating Attrition Rates among Male and Female Physicians

In their study, Dr. Kelleher and Dr. Chen aimed to determine the discrepancy in rates of leaving academia between male and female physicians. As physicians working in academic hospitals play a vital role in patient care, research, and training, understanding attrition rates is crucial for maintaining the quality of medicine in the future.

Approach and Methodology

To carry out their investigation, the researchers utilized Care Compare data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, specifically focusing on physicians who billed Medicare from teaching hospitals between March 2014 and December 2019. By analyzing this data, the study tracked the attrition rates among nearly 300,000 physicians working in academic hospitals across the United States over a span of five years.

Findings and Gender Disparities

The research revealed that female physicians displayed higher attrition rates compared to their male counterparts. Over the five-year study period, the overall attrition rate was found to be 38.3% for female physicians, compared to 32.4% for male physicians. These gender disparities were consistent across all career stages. Female physicians had higher attrition rates than male physicians among junior career physicians (40.5% vs. 34.8%), mid-career physicians (36.4% vs. 30.3%), and advanced-career physicians (38.5% vs. 33.3%).

Clinical Implications and the Future of Medicine

This study highlights the importance of diversity in medicine and the contributions made by female physicians. Women tend to bring novel ideas and patient-centered care approaches to the field. Through their roles in teaching and research at academic medical centers, female physicians help disseminate and normalize novel approaches to practicing medicine. The higher attrition rates among female physicians, as identified in this study, have significant implications for the future quality of healthcare.

Addressing Hypotheses and Next Steps

The study challenges the commonly held belief that family obligations are the primary reason for female physicians leaving academic hospitals. The higher attrition rates among women persisted across all career stages, suggesting that family obligations alone cannot explain this gender disparity. With equal numbers of women and men graduating from medical school, this leaky pipeline phenomenon ultimately leads to a decreasing representation of women in the academic healthcare workforce. To address this issue, interventions aimed at retaining physicians, especially female physicians, are critically needed.

The AI legalese decoder could play a vital role in this situation by providing insights and helping to address the challenges faced by female physicians in academia. By analyzing legal documents, contracts, and policies related to employment, the AI legalese decoder can identify any hidden biases or barriers that may contribute to the higher attrition rates among women. This AI tool can assist in developing strategies and interventions that promote gender equity, support work-life balance, and enhance the retention of female physicians in the academic healthcare workforce.

Conclusion and Future Research

The findings of this study shed light on the attrition rates among male and female physicians in US academic hospitals. As the demand for healthcare professionals continues to rise, the retention of physicians, particularly female physicians, is crucial. Dr. Kelleher, Dr. Chen, and their team remain committed to further investigating the factors driving attrition for female physicians and seeking innovative ways to retain female physicians in the academic healthcare workforce.

Paper Cited:

Chen, Y. W., Orlas, C., Kim, T., Chang, D. C., & Kelleher, C. M. (2023). Workforce Attrition Among Male and Female Physicians Working in US Academic Hospitals, 2014-2019. JAMA network open, 6(7), e2323872. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23872

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, established in 1811. With an annual research budget exceeding $1 billion, the MGH Research Institute oversees the largest hospital-based research program in the United States. Housing over 9,500 researchers across more than 30 institutes, centers, and departments, MGH is at the forefront of medical innovation. In 2022, Mass General was ranked #8 in the U.S. News & World Report’s “AmericaÔÇÖs Best Hospitals” list. MGH is also a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

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