LAUSR

Pneumology is one of the medical areas suffering a lot from young doctors shortage. However, there is an increasing number of young female academics - independent of specialty - whose successful medical career is blocked by internal and external reasons. At the 56th DGP congress (German Society for Pneumology) we did a survey on 358 participating chest physicians in order to identify the career promoting and the career restraining reasons and the relevant aspects regarding the specialty choice of pneumology. The survey followed a structured multiple choice questionnaire (multiple mentioning was possible) based on study results of Buddeberg-Fischer et al. The aim of the study was to compare whether male and female on one hand and Consultant/Senior Registrars and Residents on the other hand diverge in their opinion. Signs of a change of generations in pneumology were shown. Residents consider good compatibility with an own family more than Consultant/Senior Registrars. Residents thought of working part-time as being more career promoting, whereas Consultant/Senior Registrars focused more on the personal commitment. Furthermore women seem to experience a double work load in pneumology with their profession and family. Parental leave, children and family were significantly more often an obstacle in their career. On the other hand they find the possibility of part-time-working and a pro-active personality more often career promoting. More presence at the university, flexible working hours and an adjusted mentoring, related to a good compatibility of family and profession seem to be a good strategy to encourage interest of young academics in pneumology.