[Stability of long-term professional objectives of young physicians during postgraduate training. Results of a multicenter cohort study]. / Stabilität der beruflichen Endziele im Verlauf der fachärztlichen Weiterbildung. Ergebnisse einer multizentrischen Kohortenstudie mit zweijährigem Intervall.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated persistences and changes of career preferences of medical residents in Germany after two years of postgraduate training with regard to future working place and position. The results are compared with those forwarded at graduation from medical school in a gender comparative perspective. METHODS: The study is based on a standardized postal survey among the participants in the "KarMed" study, originally based on 1012 graduates of the medical faculties of Erlangen, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig and Magdeburg in 2009. 2107 persons were contacted. The return rate at baseline was 48 %, and the two surveys after the baseline reached return rates of 87 % and 89 % respectively. In all samples 2/3 were women as in actual medical undergraduate education. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: After 2 years of residency, residents after 2 years of postgraduate training still preferred the hospital over private practice as their final workplace after postgraduate training. The attractiveness of leading positions in the hospital declined among men, whereas it was already low for women at graduation. A large proportion of those physicians preferring the ambulatory sector, especially women, wishes to work as employee instead of private practice. At the personal level, almost 60 % forwarded the same preferences as those at graduation. Gender, parenthood and region of study (East vs. West Germany) did not influence stability or change of preferences. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the persistence of professional preferences regarding future sector and position of medical work during postgraduate training. These preferences do neither match with principles of gender equality nor with future workforce needs (e. g. in primary care).

[The professional and private situation of male and female physicians entering postgraduate medical education in Germany]. / Die berufliche und private Situation von Ärztinnen und Ärzten zu Beginn der fachärztlichen Weiterbildung.

AIM: This study investigated the professional and the private situation of medical interns at the onset of their postgraduate training in Germany. We analysed the contractual situation and the working hours in the hospital, the professional situation of the partner and the number of hours invested in private life with special reference to gender and children. METHOD: A standardised postal survey was conducted among all last year medical students in the medical faculties of Erlangen, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig and Magdeburg after entering postgraduate training. 1 009 were contacted for a first follow-up one year later and 87% responded. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The analysis shows that female physicians are disadvantaged compared to males with regard to various professional and private conditions relevant for career development, especially when children are present. We found a large number of hints pointing towards a persistence of traditional role patterns within the couple relationship. These conditions differed substantially between the regions of former German Federal and former German Democratic Republic. CONCLUSIONS: A growing number of children in the study population in the course of the longitudinal analysis will show if these gender-related differences persist in the course of the training period and which influences on career development can be observed.