Back to Search
Start Over
Educational debt and the gender gap: Understanding factors influencing orthodontists’ career decisions
- Source :
- American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 161:e20-e61
- Publication Year :
- 2022
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2022.
-
Abstract
- Introduction Orthodontic residents face challenges unparalleled to their predecessors, including competitive marketplaces, rising debt burdens, and changing demographics that have contributed to the shift in initial career choice from owner to employee. We aim to understand factors important to orthodontists at different career stages and the impact on job satisfaction through a sequential mixed methodology study. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 orthodontic residents and practitioners. A survey was developed from qualitative findings that explored career decision-making of orthodontic residents and practicing orthodontists, with descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses (n = 343 orthodontists and 185 residents). Results Graduating orthodontic residents are choosing employment over ownership as their initial job, prioritizing high income to offset the educational debt. The majority of residents report thinking about their debt very often to all of the time and find it very to extremely stressful. Current residents have long-term goals of ownership, whereas practicing doctors of both genders became owners at equal frequencies. However, on average, women earn $119,000 less per year and report being the primary family caretaker more often than men. Conclusions Excellent patient care, work-life balance, and sufficient income are the most important drivers for career choices and job satisfaction for orthodontists of all ages. Despite debt, most residents and working orthodontists report a high level of job satisfaction and would recommend the field of orthodontics to others.
- Subjects :
- Male
Medical education
Career Choice
Demographics
media_common.quotation_subject
Internship and Residency
Orthodontics
Job Satisfaction
Patient care
Sex Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Statistical analyses
Debt
Orthodontists
Humans
Female
Job satisfaction
Gender gap
Psychology
Career choice
media_common
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 08895406
- Volume :
- 161
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4fa981696b0a9dfd236d5bf5353b1bad