Work-family balance and academic advancement in medical schools.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines various options that a faculty member might exercise to achieve work-family balance in academic medicine and their consequences for academic advancement.


METHODS
Three data sets were analyzed: an anonymous web-administered survey of part-time tenure track-eligible University of Illinois College of Medicine (UI-COM) faculty members conducted in 2003; exogenous data regarding the entire UI-COM faculty; and tenure rollback ("stop-the-clock") usage by all tenure track-eligible UI-COM faculty from 1994 to 2003.


RESULTS
The data reveal a gender split in career-family balance priorities that affect academic advancement among part-time faculty. Women select part-time status for child care; men choose part-time to moonlight. Similarly, among all faculty members seeking tenure rollbacks, women request rollback for child care; men request rollback for other reasons. Among all faculty members, full-time men were more likely to be on the tenure track than any other group. Needs identified by the part-time faculty survey include improved mentoring in track selection, heightened awareness of options, such as tenure rollback, and provision of equitable benefits and opportunities.


CONCLUSIONS
Policy changes, such as a prorated tenure track, are needed to support a family-friendly culture with flexibility throughout the career lifespan for both men and women medical faculty.
Fox
Geri
G
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd., Mailroom 155, Chicago, IL 60608, USA. foxg@uic.edu
Schwartz
Alan
A
Hart
Katherine M
KM
D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000124:Achievement; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D002322:Career Mobility; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data