Examining How Gender Differences in Outcomes Develop Among Physician Researchers

描述(由申请者提供)：这项研究试图了解初级内科教师研究人员，特别是女性面临的障碍，以便为改善学术医学中的性别平等提供信息。尽管在过去40年中，妇女参与医疗职业的人数急剧增加，但在医学学术高级职位上，妇女仍然是明显的少数。一些人认为，这些差异是由于在工作和其他追求之间或研究和临床活动之间的平衡方面的性别偏好差异造成的。建议的工作集中在一群非常精挑细选的高度适中、以研究为导向的初级教员：从NIH获得K08和K23指导性职业发展奖的医生。通过这样做，它最大限度地减少了在追求研究的愿望和获得资金支持方面的潜在性别差异的影响，从而使其他挑战和障碍的影响得以孤立。在初步研究中，我们发现女性K08和K23获奖者获得随后的独立R01奖励的可能性明显低于他们的男性同事。在这一应用中，我们提出了一种混合方法和跨学科的研究来解释为什么会存在这种差异。具体地说，为了确定学术成功的关键因素，并在这些具有高度积极性和成就的内科研究人员中调查和促进性别平等，我们提出了一个三阶段研究。在第一阶段，我们将对2005-2008年间从NIH获得K08和K23奖项的1425名医生进行大规模调查，以评估在获得关键资源方面的性别差异，如受保护的研究时间和指导。然后，我们将对120名相关利益相关者的访谈进行定性分析，其中包括60名前K08和K23获奖者及其导师。最后，我们将对2005-2008年度获得K08和K23奖项的1425名医生进行跟踪调查，以确定哪些资源、个人和机构特征与学术成功有关，包括发表论文、获得独立资助、满意度、晋升和在学术医学中的保留，以及确定哪些因素在这些结果中主要中介性别差异。通过这种方式，这项研究将阐明男性和女性学术成功的关键要素，包括揭示哪些要素是共同的，哪些是独特的，从而能够在知情的情况下设计有针对性的干预措施，以改善学术医学中的性别公平。与公共卫生相关：由于女性与其男性同事有不同的视角和不同的生活经历，她们参与学术事业可能会产生新的想法和方法。教师多样性对于推进医学院的研究、教育和临床使命至关重要。减少差异的努力必须以理解性别差异形成的机制为基础，正如本申请试图阐明的那样。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This study seeks to understand the barriers facing junior physician faculty researchers, and women in particular, in order to inform efforts to improve gender equity in academic medicine. Despite a dramatic increase in women's participation in the medical profession over the past four decades, women remain in the distinct minority in the senior positions of academic medicine. Some have dismissed these disparities as resulting from gender differences in preferences regarding the balance between work and other pursuits or between research and clinical activity. The proposed work focuses upon an extremely selective cohort of highly apt, research-oriented junior faculty members: physician-recipients of K08 and K23 mentored career development awards from the NIH. In so doing, it minimizes the impact of potential gender differences in the desire to pursue research and in access to monetary support, allowing for the impact of other challenges and barriers to be isolated. In a preliminary study, we discovered that female K08 and K23 awardees were significantly less likely to obtain a subsequent independent R01 grant than their male colleagues. In this application, we propose a mixed-methods and interdisciplinary study to illuminate why this disparity exists. Specifically, in order to identify the key elements of academic success and to investigate and promote gender equity among these highly motivated and accomplished physician-researchers, we propose a three-phase study. In the first phase, we will conduct a large-scale survey of the entire population of 1425 physicians receiving K08 and K23 Awards from the NIH in 2005-2008, in order to assess gender differences in access to critical resources, such as protected research time and mentoring. We will then proceed to conduct a qualitative analysis of interviews with 120 relevant stakeholders, including 60 former K08 and K23 recipients and their mentors. Finally, we will conduct a follow-up survey of the 1425 physicians receiving K08 and K23 Awards in 2005-2008 to determine which resources, individual, and institutional characteristics are associated with academic success, including publication, attainment of independent funding, satisfaction, promotion, and retention within academic medicine, as well as to identify which factors primarily mediate gender differences in these outcomes. In this way, this study will illuminate the key elements of academic success for men and for women, including revealing which elements are common and which are unique, allowing for the informed design of targeted interventions to improve gender equity in academic medicine. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Because women have different perspectives and different life experiences than their male colleagues, new ideas and approaches are likely to emerge from their participation in the academic enterprise. Faculty diversity is critically important for advancing the research, educational, and clinical missions of medical schools. Efforts to decrease disparities must be informed by an understanding of the mechanisms by which gender differences develop, as this application seeks to illuminate.