Retention of chairs in obstetrics and gynecology: a comparison with other clinical departments.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the retention of chairs in academic obstetrics and gynecology with other core clinical departments.

METHODS

Ongoing data were collected from each medical school for the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Roster between 1979 and 2007. Primary outcome measures included 5-year and 10-year retention rates and survival curves of first-time chairs. Comparisons were made between first-time chairs in obstetrics and gynecology and other core clinical departments: internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery.

RESULTS

Five-year retention rates of obstetrics and gynecology chairs declined from 80% for those who began in 1979-1982 to 53% for those who began in 1998-2002. Ten-year retention in obstetrics and gynecology declined from 54% for those beginning in 1979-1982 to 26% for those beginning in 1993-1997. Other clinical departments experienced more stable 5-year and 10-year retention rates. Although substantially longer than other clinical departments in the 1979-1982 cohort, the median tenure of obstetrics and gynecology chairs who began in 1993-1997 was comparable with or less than that of other clinical departments. Discrete-time survival analysis revealed this decline in obstetrics and gynecology chair retention to be significant (P<.001) and more consistent than in other departments.

CONCLUSION

Compared with other core clinical departments, retention of first-time chairs in obstetrics and gynecology declined more consistently from the highest to among the lowest. Chairs were inclined to not remain in office for a prolonged period.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.