title: African American female physicians in South Carolina: role models and career satisfaction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the factors that influenced African American women to select medicine as a career and their satisfaction with their career choice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of 132 African American female physicians in South Carolina, 62 responded to a survey of open-ended questions about why they chose medicine, what they liked and disliked about their career, and who influenced their decision to become a physician.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority chose medicine for altruistic reasons and found that medicine provided challenge and the opportunity to make a positive difference. Family members, teachers, and physicians served as the common external influences in their decision to become a physician. Managed care, paper work, and time demands constituted the most disliked aspects of medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altruistic reasons and/or an interest in science motivated most of these African American female physicians to study medicine. Family members most often were their principal role models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, South Carolina Honors College, University of South Carolina, Columbia 29203, USA.
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rhoades
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009042:Motivation; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013022:South Carolina