Comparison of job and career satisfaction between women physicians and women academicians at the American University of Beirut

Abstract

This study assesses the level of job and career satisfaction, work, social life and child care conflict of full time female academic physicians, and compares it with full time female non medical academicians at the American University of Beirut. The authors show that female physicians were significantly more satisfied with resources and income than non physicians. Both groups were satisfied with their job in general, yet less of the non medical academicians were satisfied with the career progress. Furthermore, despite the fact that both categories, if given the choice, would go again for the same major and the same career, yet less of the physicians would advise a friend to follow the same career. There is minimal conflict between social life and work; and being married and having children did not affect the satisfaction level except for the fact of feeling more torn between the demands of work and personal life. Several interpretations are exposed in order to explain the findings, as well as the implications of the study.