Blog Archives

The Main Demographic Factor Associated with Decreased Satisfaction for Physician Work-life Balance is Female Gender

Wow. When I read that fact in a recent piece on time management by Dr. Sandra Scott Simons in Emergency Medicine News, I was a bit taken aback. It’s not surprising once you really think about it, but at first, it’s a slap in the face. 

In her article, Dr. Simons’ discussion of the pitfalls of distractions is particularly resonant for me. If you haven’t already, make sure to familiarize yourself with the concept of Deep Work by Cal Newport. (He has a book, a podcast, you can also find many interviews of him online.)

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What Kind of Job Do Female Emergency Physicians Want and How Might that Affect Your Career Choices?

Recently Dr. Thomas Cook, a program director in South Carolina, wrote an article in Emergency Medicine News describing a study about my field – emergency medicine’s – workforce. 

The data found interesting differences between male and female emergency physicians. For respondents, geographic locations was the only factor that was “very important” to more than half of the women (52%) but only 42% of the men. Interestingly, compensation was “very important” to 49% of the men and only 27% of the women. Proximity to family was “very important” to 38% of the women but only 27% of the men. 

Currently more than 50% of medical students are women and yet only one in three chooses emergency medicine for a career. Nationally, only 25% of emergency physicians are women. Using data to better understand what women emergency physicians are seeking might help the field improve the gender gap. 

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: