title: Systems of career influences: a conceptual model for evaluating the professional development of women in academic medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surprisingly little research is available to explain the well-documented organizational and societal influences on persistent inequities in advancement of women faculty.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Systems of Career Influences Model is a framework for exploring factors influencing women's progression to advanced academic rank, executive positions, and informal leadership roles in academic medicine. The model situates faculty as agents within a complex adaptive system consisting of a trajectory of career advancement with opportunities for formal professional development programming; a dynamic system of influences of organizational policies, practices, and culture; and a dynamic system of individual choices and decisions. These systems of influence may promote or inhibit career advancement. Within this system, women weigh competing influences to make career advancement decisions, and leaders of academic health centers prioritize limited resources to support the school's mission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Systems of Career Influences Model proved useful to identify key research questions. We used the model to probe how research in academic career development might be applied to content and methods of formal professional development programs. We generated a series of questions and hypotheses about how professional development programs might influence professional development of health science faculty members. Using the model as a guide, we developed a study using a quantitative and qualitative design. These analyses should provide insight into what works in recruiting and supporting productive men and women faculty in academic medical centers.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Women's Health and Leadership, Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, USA. diane.magrane@drexelmed.edu
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Magrane
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Helitzer
authors.forename: Page
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morahan
authors.forename: Shine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardinali
authors.forename: Chih-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D002322:Career Mobility; D003210:Concept Formation; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010822:Physicians, Women; D011361:Professional Competence; D016730:Program Development; D013192:Staff Development