(PO-034) OMFS Residents' Job Satisfaction, Stress and Discrimination: Does Gender Matter?

Author: Madison Rabbitt, B.S. – dental student, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Author: Kyriaki C. Marti, D.M.D, M.D., M.H.P.E., Ph.D., CHSE – Adjunct clinical assistant professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Author: Marita R. Inglehart, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Submitter: Marita R. Inglehart, Ph.D. – Professor, University of Michigan School of Dentistry

Objectives: Women are significantly underrepresented in OMFS residency programs. The objectives are to determine if female and male OMFS residents differ in their job satisfaction, stress levels and degree of observed and         experienced gender-based discrimination.
 

Methods: 41 male and 15 female OMFS residents responded to an anonymous survey. Standardized scales were used   to assess job satisfaction (Professional Satisfaction Scale - Shugerman et al., 2001; Dentist Satisfaction Survey - Shugars et al., 1991) and stress (Revised Graduate Student Stress Scale by Divaris et al., 2012).
 

Results: OMFS residents had a very high average professional satisfaction (5 = highest satisfaction: Mean = 4.20).  More specifically, they agreed strongly that they were proud to be an OMFS (Mean = 4.39), extremely satisfied with their career (Mean = 3.98).  On a scale from 1 to 4 (highest stress), they rated stress due to neglect for personal life (mean = 3.82), lack of time for leisure (mean=3.66), competition for higher performance (Mean=3.57) and concern for physical health (Mean=3.43) on average as most highly stressful.
Male and female residents did not differ in their overall job satisfaction and stress levels. However, compared to male residents, female residents more frequently observed that female residents were treated less positively by residents (5 = most frequent: 1.70 vs. 2.67; p=015), staff (1.68 vs. 2.93; p< 0.001), faculty (1.68 vs. 2.93; p< 0.001) and patients (2.65 vs. 3.93; p< 0.001) and experienced more sexual harassment from patients (1.55 vs. 2.93;  p< 0.001).
 

Conclusions: While both male and female OMFS residents had on average a high level of job satisfaction and higher levels of job related stress, female residents had significantly higher awareness of gender-based discrimination of female residents than their male peers. Introducing gender-related anti-discrimination education into the OMFS curriculum and offering related staff and faculty development programs is important.