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Professional Liability and Other Career Pressures: Impact on Obstetrician-Gynecologists’ Career Satisfaction

Barbara A. Bettes, PhD^*, Albert L. Strunk, MD^*, Victoria H. Coleman, MA^* and Jay Schulkin, PhD^*

From the *American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC.

Address reprint requests to: Jay Schulkin, PhD, Director of Research, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 409 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024; e-mail: jschulkin{at}acog.org.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of career pressures on career satisfaction and satisfaction with job-specific activities among obstetrician-gynecologists.

METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 1,500 member-Fellows of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in June 2001. The analyses were designed to examine the relationship between career pressures in 3 domains on clinicians’ professional satisfaction.

RESULTS: Overall career satisfaction and satisfaction with job-specific activities were both inversely related to the perceived impact of career pressures. The major impact reported was that liability insurance costs would shorten the duration of the members’ careers. Managed care had less impact than liability, with moderate concern surrounding the limitation of diagnostic and treatment options. Obstetrician-gynecologists were less satisfied with their careers and job-specific activities if they believed the cost or time of obtaining continuing medical education requirements to be a burden.

CONCLUSION: Career pressures produced by liability insurance costs have more negative impact on clinicians’ satisfaction with their professional lives and job-specific activities than managed care and requirements for continuing medical education.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

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