Do female medical graduates have different views on professional work and workload compared to their male colleagues? Results of a multicenter postal survey in Germany

Background and aim: This study investigated the career preferences of medical graduates with regard to discipline, final position, preferred area of work, and work load after the completion of postgraduate according to gender in Germany. Methods: Standardized postal survey among all last year medical students in the medical faculties of Erlangen, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig and Magdeburg in 2009. 2017 persons were contacted and 1012 (48 %) participated. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed. Qualitative interviews with graduates completed data collection. Results: Overall, graduates prefer the hospital over private practice as their workplace after postgraduate training. However, 50% of male graduates but only 29% of female graduates aspire a leading position in the hospital. Male graduates often prefer careers in surgical disciplines, specialized internal medicine whereas female graduates orient themselves towards gynecology, pediatrics and smaller clinical disciplines like dermatology. 80% of male but only 40% of female graduates prefer a full-time position after completion of postgraduate training, whereas 16% of female graduates aim at a part-time position only. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the persistence of traditional role models among medical graduates. Men aim at leading positions in the hospital whereas women prefer lower hospital positions or outpatient practices. Women look for part-time jobs, at least temporarily for child rearing whereas men continue to prefer full-time jobs.