Women in academic medicine: strategies for balancing career and personal life.

We conducted a national survey to explore how women in academic medicine balance career and family responsibilities. A questionnaire was mailed to all women 50 years of age and under who held full-time appointments in departments of medicine (N = 862) as listed in the faculty roster of the Association of American Medical Colleges. This paper describes the types of coping strategies the respondents use to balance career and personal life. Seventy-seven percent of respondents (430) reported at least one coping strategy. The 1,117 strategies were grouped into 4 general categories: changing structural aspects of their lives, increasing efficiency, limiting personal expectations, and social support. Illustrative examples of each of the categories and their subcategories are provided. In addition, the association between respondent demographics and coping methods is examined. This study describes the diverse and creative methods women faculty use to balance career and personal lives. We believe that sharing the coping strategies of these respondents will be helpful to other physicians who face similar challenges in their lives and to women medical students planning careers in academic medicine.