Obstacles to promotion? Values of women faculty about career success and recognition. Committee on the Status of Women and Minorities, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Campus.
OBJECTIVE
To assess attitudes of female faculty about career progress, resources for career development, and values related to academic success and recognition.


METHODS
In 1997, the authors surveyed all faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and its associated Veterans Affairs Medical Center.


RESULTS
Of 918 faculty, 567 (62%) responded to the survey; 33% of the respondents were women. Compared with men, women faculty were less likely to be tenured or at the level of professor, spent more time in clinical activities, had less time for scholarly activity, and reported slower career progress. Women were more likely to report that promotion and tenure criteria had not been reviewed with them. Significant differences were found between female physicians and non-physician faculty; female physicians reported the least time for scholarly activities and poorest understanding of promotion and tenure criteria. When the authors asked faculty how they valued certain indicators of career success, women were less likely to value leadership than were men. Female physicians were less likely to value scholarship and national recognition as indicators of their career success.


CONCLUSIONS
This survey found important differences in career progress of male and female faculty, with women reporting less time for career development. In addition, there were differences in values related to career success and recognition, which were most pronounced for female physicians. These differences may have an important impact on promotion for women in general and particularly for female physicians.
Buckley
L M
LM
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Richmond 23298-0102, USA. buckley@hsc.vcu.edu
Sanders
K
K
Shih
M
M
Kallar
S
S
Hampton
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002322:Career Mobility; D003625:Data Collection; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology*; D014768:Virginia