Abstract
Objective
This study examines various options that a faculty member might exercise to achieve work-family balance in academic medicine and their consequences for academic advancement.
Method
Three data sets were analyzed: an anonymous web-administered survey of part-time tenure track-eligible University of Illinois College of Medicine (UI-COM) faculty members conducted in 2003; exogenous data regarding the entire UI-COM faculty; and tenure rollback (“stop-the-clock”) usage by all tenure track-eligible UI-COM faculty from 1994 to 2003.
Results
The data reveal a gender split in career-familybalance priorities that affect academic advancement among part-time faculty. Women select part-time status for child care; men choose part-time to moonlight. Similarly, among all faculty members seeking tenure rollbacks women request rollback for child care; men request rollback for other reasons. Among all faculty members, full-time men were more likely to be on the tenure track than any other group. Needs identified by the part-time faculty survey include improved mentoring in track selection, heightened awareness of options such as tenure rollback and provision of equitable benefits and opportunities.
Conclusions
Policy changes, such as a prorated tenure track, are needed to support a family-friendly culture with flexibility throughout the career lifespan for both men and women medical faculty.
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This article incorporates research findings from Dr. Fox’s Master’s in Health Professions Education thesis, Department of Medical Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2004.
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Fox, G., Schwartz, A. & Hart, K.M. Work-Family Balance and Academic Advancement in Medical Schools. Acad Psychiatry 30, 227–234 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.30.3.227
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ap.30.3.227