Rural women family physicians. Are they unique?
OBJECTIVE
To compare the scope of practice and degree of personal and professional satisfaction of rural women family physicians with their rural male, urban female, and urban male counterparts.


METHODS
Cross-sectional mailed survey.


METHODS
Rural and urban Ontario family practices.


METHODS
A total of 442 rural and urban family physicians.


METHODS
Personal and professional characteristics, scope of practice, and degree of personal and professional satisfaction.


RESULTS
Rural women family physicians' scope of practice is as broad as that of rural men, and the women are more likely to attend births. They work many more hours on average than their urban counterparts. Rural women incorporate more professional activities into their practices than both male and female urban family physicians do, but they are less satisfied, both personally and professionally.


CONCLUSIONS
Rural family practice provides a broad scope of practice for both women and men, but initiatives are needed to make rural practice more professionally and personally satisfying for both women and men.
Incitti
Filomena
F
University of Western Ontario, London.
Rourke
James
J
Rourke
Leslie L
LL
Kennard
MaryAnn
M
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010819:Physician's Role; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000523:psychology; D011364:Professional Practice; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D000078329:Workforce