Dataset Information

Where have they gone? - a discussion on the balancing act of female doctors between work and family.

ABSTRACT: GOALS: The increasing number of vacant positions for doctors increasingly puts the issue of reconciling work and family into the spotlight in companies, hospitals and universities, as increased expectations of a better work-life balance are seen as one of the reasons for these vacancies. Highly qualified professionals are trained, but not available to the labour market. The aim is to summarise what difficulties doctors who want to have a family and their potential employers must face. METHODS: The following articles show the current state of research and potential starting points for an optimisation of the medical profession from a family-friendly perspective and intend to stimulate debate. RESULTS: Some basic steps towards better work-life balance have already been taken, such as the provision of childcare places and the increasing availability of more flexible working patterns. But it seems that these measures, since they have been implemented neither sufficiently nor universally, do not suffice to secure the next generation of staff. Especially women in leadership positions are still rare to find. CONCLUSIONS: Both male and female doctors want better quality of life by achieving a better work-life balance. The expansion of family-friendly services is seen as a necessary step to allow female doctors to successfully combine work and family.

SUBMITTER: Jerg-Bretzke L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3339702 | biostudies-other | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Where have they gone? - a discussion on the balancing act of female doctors between work and family.

Jerg-Bretzke Lucia L Limbrecht Kerstin K

GMS Zeitschrift fur medizinische Ausbildung 20120423 2

<h4>Goals</h4>The increasing number of vacant positions for doctors increasingly puts the issue of reconciling work and family into the spotlight in companies, hospitals and universities, as increased expectations of a better work-life balance are seen as one of the reasons for these vacancies. Highly qualified professionals are trained, but not available to the labour market. The aim is to summarise what difficulties doctors who want to have a family and their potential employers must face.<h4> ...[more]

PMID: 22558025

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined by the abundance of lipid droplets (LDs) in hepatocytes. While historically considered simply depots for energy storage, LDs are increasingly recognized to impact a wide range of biological processes that influence cellular metabolism, signaling, and function. While progress has been made toward understanding the factors leading to LD accumulation (i.e. steatosis) and its progression to advanced stages of NAFLD and/or systemic metabolic dysfunction, much remains to be resolved.Scope of reviewThis review covers many facets of LD biology. We provide a brief overview of the major pathways of lipid accretion and degradation that contribute to steatosis and how they are altered in NAFLD. The major focus is on the relationship between LDs and cell function and the detailed mechanisms that couple or uncouple steatosis from the severity and progression of NAFLD and systemic comorbidities. The importance of specific lipids and proteins within or on LDs as key components that determine whether LD accumulation is linked to cellular and metabolic dysfunction is presented. We discuss emerging areas of LD biology and future research directions that are needed to advance our understanding of the role of LDs in NAFLD etiology.Major conclusionsImpairments in LD breakdown appear to contribute to disease progression, but inefficient incorporation of fatty acids (FAs) into LD-containing triacylglycerol (TAG) and the consequential changes in FA partitioning also affect NAFLD etiology. Increased LD abundance in hepatocytes does not necessarily equate to cellular dysfunction. While LD accumulation is the prerequisite step for most NAFLD cases, the protein and lipid composition of LDs are critical factors in determining the progression from simple steatosis. Further defining the detailed molecular mechanisms linking LDs to metabolic dysfunction is important for designing effective therapeutic approaches targeting NAFLD and its comorbidities.

Project description:?BACKGROUND: Many countries have insufficient numbers of family doctors, and more females than males leave the workforce at a younger age or have difficulty sustaining careers. Understanding the differing attitudes, pressures, and perceptions between genders toward their medical occupation is important to minimise workforce attrition. ?AIM: To explore factors influencing the resilience of female family doctors during lifecycle transitions. ?DESIGN & SETTING: International qualitative study with female family doctors from all world regions. ?METHOD: Twenty semi-structured online Skype interviews, followed by three focus groups to develop recommendations. Data were transcribed and analysed using applied framework analysis. ?RESULTS: Interview participants described a complex interface between competing demands, expectations of their gender, and internalised expectations of themselves. Systemic barriers, such as lack of flexible working, excessive workload, and the cumulative impacts of unrealistic expectations impaired the ability to fully contribute in the workplace. At the individual level, resilience related to: the ability to make choices; previous experiences that had encouraged self-confidence; effective engagement to obtain support; and the ability to handle negative experiences. External support, such as strong personal networks, and an adaptive work setting and organisation or system maximised interviewees' professional contributions. ?CONCLUSION: On an international scale, female family doctors experience similar pressures from competing demands during lifecycle transitions; some of which relate to expectations of the female's 'role' in society, particularly around the additional personal pressures of caring commitments. Such situations could be predicted, planned for, and mitigated with explicit support mechanisms and availability of workplace choices. Healthcare organisations and systems around the world should recognise this need and implement recommendations to help reduce workforce losses. These findings are likely to be of interest to all health professional staff of any gender.

Dataset Information

Where have they gone? - a discussion on the balancing act of female doctors between work and family.

Publications

Where have they gone? - a discussion on the balancing act of female doctors between work and family.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets