title: Habilitations as a bottleneck? A retrospective analysis of gender differences at the Medical University of Vienna.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The share of female physicians who drop out of a university career increases disproportionately with every career step. In this project, we analysed careers at the Medical University of Vienna (formerly the Medical Faculty at the University of Vienna) in the time span from 1992 to 2012 to explore the particular role of habilitations as a potential obstacle for women striving to pursue a career in science.
  
  
  METHODS
  To gain both a macro- and micro-view of the phenomenon of habilitations, a descriptive analysis of the data found in the archive of the Medical University of Vienna was carried out as a first step. Building on these results, structured interviews with the female physicians who were involved in the habilitation procedures at that time were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While hardly any gender-based differences or discrimination can be reported for the habilitation procedures themselves, the research clearly reveals that the disparity in habilitations by men and women is a manifestation of unequal access to informal networks, differences regarding integration in the scientific community and available time resources. It is unlikely that the rising number of women completing doctoral studies in the field of medicine will automatically lead to a harmonisation of habilitation numbers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis of existing gender-based differences with regard to habilitations in the field of medicine shows that they result from multiple processes that are subtle and relatively resistant to change.
authors.affiliation: Gender Mainstreaming Office, Medical University of Vienna, Rektoratsgebäude (BT 88), Ebene 2, Spitalgasse 23, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinböck
authors.affiliation: Gender Mainstreaming Office, Medical University of Vienna, Rektoratsgebäude (BT 88), Ebene 2, Spitalgasse 23, 1090, Vienna, Austria. eva.reichel@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reichel
authors.affiliation: Gender Mainstreaming Office, Medical University of Vienna, Rektoratsgebäude (BT 88), Ebene 2, Spitalgasse 23, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pichler
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Lobos
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002322:Career Mobility; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010822:Physicians, Women / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D063507:Sexism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Austria; Gendered barriers in academic careers; Habilitation; Medical profession; Women doctors