Current Workforce of General Pediatricians in the United States

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A near vacuum exists for credible information regarding specialty-specific demography, including gender, years since training completion, current employer, academic affiliation, and hours worked in specific tasks. Understanding the current status and changes to the medical workforce and its work patterns is essential to assessing whether the supply and distribution meets the needs of patients, institutions, society, and educational programs. METHODS: A self-administered electronic survey sent to all pediatricians at the time of their enrollment in the Maintenance of Certification program in 2013–2014. The survey focused on exploring trends associated with career choice, career paths, time spent in professional activities, and current practice characteristics. Logistic regression and χ2 analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The response rate was 87.2% (N = 15 351). Of those who completed the survey, 9253 (64%) self-identified as general pediatricians. An increased likelihood of working part-time was seen among women (odds ratio [OR]: 12.21), those without an academic appointment (OR: 1.32), and those not working in a private/independent practice (OR: 1.15). Overall, 89% (n = 8214) of respondents stated that their current allocation of professional time was approximately what they wanted. Those more likely to be involved in quality improvement in the past year did not work in independent/private practices (OR: 1.78) and worked full-time (OR: 1.16). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the current nature of the pediatric workforce is a first step in providing data to guide future workforce planning and the training experiences required to maintain and shape the workforce to meet the current and future needs of children.