Practitioners of pediatric emergency medicine: a 5-year longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the evolution of the responsibilities, goals and expectations of sub-Board-certified practitioners of pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) over a 5-year period.


METHODS
This was a prospective, cohort study. A questionnaire was mailed in January 1994 to all physicians sub-Board-certified in PEM by either the American Board of Pediatrics or the American Board of Emergency Medicine. It included questions about the type of work the physicians did and expectations for the future. This group of physicians was surveyed again in January 1999. The primary outcome measures were changes in the physicians' goals and expectations for the future. Table.


RESULTS
Questionnaires were mailed to 232 PEM sub-Board-certified physicians in January 1994. By June 1994, 183 of the 232 responded to the survey. Follow-up questionnaires were mailed to the cohort of 183 physicians in January 1999. By June 1999, 170 of the 183 (93%) had replied. The table summarizes results. In 1994, the most commonly listed career goals were to increase research productivity (52%) and develop excellent teaching skills (35%). In 1999, the most commonly listed goals were to improve hours/lifestyle (61%) and increase administrative work (33%).


CONCLUSIONS
The priorities of this cohort of PEM sub-Board-certified physicians have changed as the physicians grow older. Lifestyle issues must be taken into consideration to ensure longevity in the subspecialty.
Chande
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Blank Children's Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, USA. CHANDEVT@ihs.org
Krug
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D000328:Adult; D002322:Career Mobility; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires