This study seeks to understand the barriers facing junior physician faculty researchers, and women in particular, in order to inform efforts to improve gender equity in academic medicine. Despite a dramatic increase in women's participation in the medical profession over the past four decades, women remain in the distinct minority in the senior positions of academic medicine. Some have dismissed these disparities as resulting from gender differences in preferences regarding the balance between work and other pursuits or between research and clinical activity. The proposed work focuses upon an extremely selective cohort of highly apt, research-oriented junior faculty members: physician-recipients of K08 and K23 mentored career development awards from the NIH. In so doing, it minimizes the impact of potential gender differences in the desire to pursue research and in access to monetary support, allowing for the impact of other challenges and barriers to be isolated. In a preliminary study, we discovered that female K08 and K23 awardees were significantly less likely to obtain a subsequent independent R01 grant than their male colleagues. In this application, we propose a mixed-methods and interdisciplinary study to illuminate why this disparity exists. Specifically, in order to identify the key elements of academic success and to investigate and promote gender equity among these highly motivated and accomplished physician-researchers, we propose a three-phase study. In the first phase, we will conduct a large-scale survey of the entire population of 1425 physicians receiving K08 and K23 Awards from the NIH in 2005-2008, in order to assess gender differences in access to critical resources, such as protected research time and mentoring. We will then proceed to conduct a qualitative analysis of interviews with 120 relevant stakeholders, including 60 former K08 and K23 recipients and their mentors. Finally, we will conduct a follow-up survey of the 1425 physicians receiving K08 and K23 Awards in 2005-2008 to determine which resources, individual, and institutional characteristics are associated with academic success, including publication, attainment of independent funding, satisfaction, promotion, and retention within academic medicine, as well as to identify which factors primarily mediate gender differences in these outcomes. In this way, this study will illuminate the key elements of academic success for men and for women, including revealing which elements are common and which are unique, allowing for the informed design of targeted interventions to improve gender equity in academic medicine.

Public Health Relevance

Because women have different perspectives and different life experiences than their male colleagues, new ideas and approaches are likely to emerge from their participation in the academic enterprise. Faculty diversity is critically important for advancing the research, educational, and clinical missions of medical schools. Efforts to decrease disparities must be informed by an understanding of the mechanisms by which gender differences develop, as this application seeks to illuminate.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01HL101997-01
Application #
7708282
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-HOP-B (50))
Program Officer
Harabin, Andrea L
Project Start
2009-09-30
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2009-09-30
Budget End
2010-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$256,470
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Radiation-Diagnostic/Oncology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Jagsi, Reshma; Griffith, Kent A; Jones, Rochelle D et al. (2017) Factors Associated With Success of Clinician-Researchers Receiving Career Development Awards From the National Institutes of Health: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Acad Med 92:1429-1439
Jones, Rochelle DeCastro; Griffith, Kent A; Ubel, Peter A et al. (2016) A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Motivations, Goals, and Aspirations of Male and Female Academic Medical Faculty. Acad Med 91:1089-97
Jagsi, Reshma; Griffith, Kent A; Jones, Rochelle et al. (2016) Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Experiences of Academic Medical Faculty. JAMA 315:2120-1
Jolly, Shruti; Griffith, Kent A; DeCastro, Rochelle et al. (2014) Gender differences in time spent on parenting and domestic responsibilities by high-achieving young physician-researchers. Ann Intern Med 160:344-53
DeCastro, Rochelle; Griffith, Kent A; Ubel, Peter A et al. (2014) Mentoring and the career satisfaction of male and female academic medical faculty. Acad Med 89:301-11
Jagsi, Reshma; Bennett, Katherine Egan; Griffith, Kent A et al. (2014) Attitudes toward blinding of peer review and perceptions of efficacy within a small biomedical specialty. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 89:940-946
Ramakrishnan, Aditi; Sambuco, Dana; Jagsi, Reshma (2014) Women's participation in the medical profession: insights from experiences in Japan, Scandinavia, Russia, and Eastern Europe. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 23:927-34
Jagsi, Reshma; Griffith, Kent A; Stewart, Abigail et al. (2013) Gender differences in salary in a recent cohort of early-career physician-researchers. Acad Med 88:1689-99
DeCastro, Rochelle; Sambuco, Dana; Ubel, Peter A et al. (2013) Mentor networks in academic medicine: moving beyond a dyadic conception of mentoring for junior faculty researchers. Acad Med 88:488-96
DeCastro, Rochelle; Sambuco, Dana; Ubel, Peter A et al. (2013) Batting 300 is good: perspectives of faculty researchers and their mentors on rejection, resilience, and persistence in academic medical careers. Acad Med 88:497-504

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