OBJECTIVES: To establish a reliable and concise measure of career satisfaction that covers all 4 of its dimensions and to document higher dimensions of satisfaction among the major medical specialties and across varying patterns of clinical practice. METHODS: In 2004, we conducted a stratified, cross-sectional survey of physicians in Canada. Of the eligible population, 2810 physicians (56.7%) responded. We checked response bias and found it was negligible. Responding physicians completed a 17-item measure of career satisfaction along with a detailed breakdown of clinical, academic, and administrative duties. We used confirmatory factor analysis to verify the existence of the hypothesized dimensions of higher-order satisfaction. We then used Scheffe's tests to document differences in the levels of all satisfaction dimensions, both among specializations and by clinical practice profile. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed 4 reliable dimensions of satisfaction: personal (alpha = 0.85), professional (alpha = 0.78), inherent (alpha = 0.70), and performance (alpha = 0.75). Inherent satisfaction with medicine as a career was the most important dimension for all specializations and for all patterns of practice. The addition of administrative duties without a reduction of clinical duties compromised personal, professional, and performance dimensions of career satisfaction. Academic duties contributed significantly to most physicians' overall, inherent, and performance satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Distinguishing higher-order dimensions of satisfaction from basic ones is a groundbreaking finding because addressing higher-order dimensions supports self-actualization and superior performance of duties.
OBJECTIVES: To establish a reliable and concise measure of career satisfaction that covers all 4 of its dimensions and to document higher dimensions of satisfaction among the major medical specialties and across varying patterns of clinical practice. METHODS: In 2004, we conducted a stratified, cross-sectional survey of physicians in Canada. Of the eligible population, 2810 physicians (56.7%) responded. We checked response bias and found it was negligible. Responding physicians completed a 17-item measure of career satisfaction along with a detailed breakdown of clinical, academic, and administrative duties. We used confirmatory factor analysis to verify the existence of the hypothesized dimensions of higher-order satisfaction. We then used Scheffe's tests to document differences in the levels of all satisfaction dimensions, both among specializations and by clinical practice profile. RESULTS: Factor analysis revealed 4 reliable dimensions of satisfaction: personal (alpha = 0.85), professional (alpha = 0.78), inherent (alpha = 0.70), and performance (alpha = 0.75). Inherent satisfaction with medicine as a career was the most important dimension for all specializations and for all patterns of practice. The addition of administrative duties without a reduction of clinical duties compromised personal, professional, and performance dimensions of career satisfaction. Academic duties contributed significantly to most physicians' overall, inherent, and performance satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Distinguishing higher-order dimensions of satisfaction from basic ones is a groundbreaking finding because addressing higher-order dimensions supports self-actualization and superior performance of duties.
Authors: Teppo J Heikkilä; Harri Hyppölä; Jukka Vänskä; Hannu Halila; Santero Kujala; Irma Virjo; Markku Sumanen; Elise Kosunen; Kari Mattila Journal: BMC Med Educ Date: 2016-04-26 Impact factor: 2.463
Authors: Juan Nicolás Peña-Sánchez; Rein Lepnurm; José Miguel Morales-Asencio; Ana Delgado; Alicja Domagała; Maciej Górkiewicz Journal: Health Psychol Res Date: 2014-09-10
Authors: Juan Nicolás Peña-Sánchez; Alicja Domagała; Katarzyna Dubas-Jakóbczyk; Maciej Polak Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2020-02-06 Impact factor: 3.390