[Career satisfaction of German medical residents after four years of training].

Objective: To evaluate German residents' career satisfaction and its dependency on intrinsic and extrinsic factors after four years of postgraduate training. Gender, parental status, training conditions and specialty choice were of particular interest.
Methods: Postal questionnaires were sent to medical graduates from seven different German faculties annually, starting in 2009. This paper presents cross-sectional data of domestic, working and training conditions four years after graduation. We used descriptive statistics and t-tests. In order to identify factors with an impact on career satisfaction, multiple regression analyses were calculated.
Results: Male residents who have children tended to be more satisfied with their career than residents without children. For female residents, however, having children was associated with lower career satisfaction. Those who chose training in general surgery or orthopedic surgery were less satisfied with their career progress. Residents with prolonged specialty training showed lower career satisfaction. Junior doctors who rated the quality of their residency training higher were more satisfied with their career. Those who perceived their job as particularly demanding were less satisfied. Concerning intrinsic factors, occupational self-efficacy and overall satisfaction with life were significantly associated with career satisfaction.
Conclusion: Residents in general are quite satisfied with their career after four years of training. Opportunities to work part-time during residency as well as structured training programs should be implemented in order to overcome parenthood as a career obstacle for female residents. The quality of specialty training is particularly important for career satisfaction and has to be ensured across specialties.
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