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Two components of professional success have been defined: objective career success (OCS) and subjective career success (SCS). Despite the increasing number of women practicing medicine, gender inequalities persist. The objectives of this descriptive, cross-sectional, and multicenter study were (a) to construct and validate OCS and SCS scales, (b) to determine the relationships between OCS and SCS and between each scale and professional/family characteristics, and (c) to compare these associations between male and female family physicians (FPs). The study sample comprised 250 female and 250 male FPs from urban health centers in Andalusia (Spain). Data were gathered over 6 months on gender, age, care load, professional/family variables, and family-work balance, using a self-administered questionnaire. OSC and SCS scales were examined by using exploratory factorial analysis and Cronbach's α, and scores were compared by gender-stratified bivariate and multiple regression analyses. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated using a multilevel analysis. The response rate was 73.6%. We identified three OCS factors and two SCS factors. Lower scores were obtained by female versus male FPs in the OCS dimensions, but there were no gender differences in either SCS dimension., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

The purpose of this article was to study, from a feminist perspective, the diversity and homogeneity in the career paths of female primary care physicians from Andalusia, Spain in the early 21st century, by analyzing the meanings they give to their careers and the influence of personal, family and professional factors. We conducted a qualitative study with six discussion groups. Thirty-two female primary care physicians working in urban health centers of the public health system of Andalusia participated in the study. The discourse analysis revealed that most of the female physicians did not plan for professional goals and, when they did plan for them, the goals were intertwined with family needs. Consequently, their career paths were discontinuous. In contrast, career paths oriented towards professional development and the conscious planning of goals were more common among the female doctors acting as directors of health care centers.

Background: Although the proportion of women in medicine is growing, female physicians continue to be disadvantaged in professional activities. The purpose of the study was to determine and compare the professional activities of female and male primary care physicians in Andalusia and to assess the effect of the health center on the performance of these activities., Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, and multicenter study., Setting: Spain., Population: urban health centers and their physicians., Sample: 88 health centers and 500 physicians., Independent Variable: gender., Measurements: Control variables: age, postgraduate family medicine specialty (FMS), patient quota, patients/day, hours/day housework from Monday to Friday, idem weekend, people at home with special care, and family situation., Dependent Variables: 24 professional activities in management, teaching, research, and the scientific community. Self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive, bivariate, and multilevel logistic regression analyses., Response: 73.6%. Female physicians: 50.8%. Age: female physicians, 49.1 ± 4.3 yrs; male physicians, 51.3 ± 4.9 yrs (p < 0.001). Female physicians with FMS: 44.2%, male physicians with FMS: 33.3% (p < 0.001). Female physicians dedicated more hours to housework and more frequently lived alone versus male physicians. There were no differences in healthcare variables. Thirteen of the studied activities were less frequently performed by female physicians, indicating their lesser visibility in the production and diffusion of scientific knowledge. Performance of the majority of professional activities was independent of the health center in which the physician worked., Conclusions: There are gender inequities in the development of professional activities in urban health centers in Andalusia, even after controlling for family responsibilities, work load, and the effect of the health center, which was important in only a few of the activities under study.

Objective: to determine, for five health problems, whether preference for a male or female general practitioner (GP) is related to patient gender, GP gender and/or patient expectations of GP behaviour., Methods: cross-sectional study in 14 health centres in Spain, administering a questionnaire to 360 patients. Outcome variables were: preference for male GP, female GP or no preference in consultations for five hypothetical health problems., Results: mean age was 47.3 ± 16.5 years, 51% were female. Preference was more frequently expressed by females. Odds ratios (ORs) for a woman preferring a female to male GP ranged from 3 to 508, according to the hypothetical problem, and ORs for a patient with female GP preferring a female GP ranged from 2.8 to 9.1. Patient gender and GP gender had no interactive effect on preferences. Expectations of GP behaviour were related to preferences, except for chest pain. Higher expectations of communication or technical care were associated with greater preference for female or male GP, respectively., Conclusions: patient gender and current GP gender are related to preferences in five hypothetical clinical situations and expectations of GP behaviour to preferences in four of them., Practice Implications: educational strategies are needed to adjust clinical encounters to patients' preferences., (2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)