Practice characteristics and lifestyle choices of men and women physician assistants and the relationship to career satisfaction.

With 60% of practicing physician assistants (PAs) being women, it is critical to identify any gender-related differences in career satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to identify practice characteristics and lifestyle choices of men and women practicing PAs, determine any genderrelated differences, and identify whether a relationship exists between gender and career satisfaction. This descriptive study used a survey addressing career satisfaction, lifestyle choices, professional practice characteristics, and gender concerns. Randomly selected PAs completed an online survey. Nonparametric testing was used to analyze the data. Analyses included 85 men and 97 women respondents. More men (82.4%) than women (59.8%) were married; a significant association between gender and domestic status was found (p=0.009). The way that men rated career satisfaction was not significantly different than the way women did (p=0.47). Sixty-five percent of men and women completely agreed that they are satisfied with their career. Eighty-three percent of men and women PAs believed that they can balance their personal and professional responsibilities. While the sample was small, it does represent the demographics of PAs currently in practice and thus supports the assumption that the PA profession affords the ability to balance responsibilities and promotes career satisfaction. J Allied Health 2013; 42(3):157-162.SINCE THE MID-1990s, the physician assistant (PA) profession has experienced tremendous growth. Approximately 83,000 PAs are actively engaged in clinical practice. 1 The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of practicing PAs will grow by 30% over the next decade.2 As physicians enter specialty areas, primary care providers are needed to fill the void and PAs will have an increasing role providing preventative and routine care. To maintain the workforce, it is essential for the profession to identify factors that contribute to PA career satisfaction. For some professionals, career satisfaction is based on the ability to balance personal and professional responsibilities.3 Since more than 60% of practicing PAs are female, it is critical to identify any gender-related differences in career satisfaction.PA education is modeled after medical school curricula, offered in a shorter timeframe. Jackson and Scharman4 reported that generally women seek out careers where they can spend more time with their children; thus, the shorter educational timeframe may account for the larger percentage of female PAs. Additionally, Hooker5 reports that female PAs believe the profession affords additional flexibility many women prefer to pursue both personal lifestyle goals as well as a rewarding professional career. However, it is unknown whether this perceived ability to balance personal and professional responsibilities leads to and supports career satisfaction. Furthermore, it is unknown whether there is a difference in how men and women PAs rate career satisfaction.LaBarbera6 surveyed men and women PAs to determine factors leading to career satisfaction. The majority of respondents were satisfied with their career choice, and almost half of the respondents stated that the ability to help others is an overwhelming factor in their career satisfaction. A small percentage (9.3%) of respondents cited professional flexibility and the ability to balance work and family as a career satisfaction factor. The author, however, did not report the data by gender, so it is unknown whether factors leading to career satisfaction are different for men and women.6A qualitative analysis of gender-related PA career satisfaction was reported by Lindsay.7 The author conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with PAs (8 male, 7 female) from New York state. The author inferred that female patients want a female health care provider, and thus female PAs work primarily in women's health and preventative care. However, data from this study cannot be generalized because participants were derived from a sample of convenience. …