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Peer-reviewedCC BYBMC medical education

Sex-specific determinants of leadership aspirations among general internal medicine physicians in Switzerland.

  • Jeanne Moor1,2,3,4
  • Lena Woodtli5
  • Christine Baumgartner6
  • Karolina Kublickiene7
  • Sven Streit5
  • Christa Nater8
8 affiliations
  1. 1Chair for Gender Medicine, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, Schlieren, Zurich, 8952, Switzerland. [email protected].
  2. 2Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. [email protected].
  3. 3Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. [email protected].
  4. 4CLINTEC Division of Renal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. [email protected].
  5. 5Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  6. 6Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
  7. 7CLINTEC Division of Renal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
  8. 8Institute for Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Abstract

Background

A "leaky pipeline" exists in leadership for medicine in Switzerland, with majorities of women among resident or attending physicians, yet only 32% female senior and 16% chief physicians. Here, we examined factors associated with career ambitions of General Internal Medicine (GIM) physicians.Methods

We performed a cross-sectional web-based survey among GIM physicians in Switzerland. Outcome was the intent of becoming senior or chief physician. Exposures included workplace-related factors including network, supervisor's support and gender-related discrimination and personal factors including Physician Well-being index and family situation.Results

The sample included 624 physicians, of which 60% were women. During medical school, career aspirations of men and women were comparable. Yet, in their current aspiration towards leadership, men more frequently reported high aspirations than women (17% vs. 11%) (p = 0.03). Higher career aspiration was present among those who were more satisfied with their work (OR: 3.26, 95% CI: 1.56-7.73). Among men, higher career aspiration was associated with a lower probability of pathological well-being (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.50). Among women, higher career aspiration was associated with reporting gender discrimination or facing negative views on parenthood by their supervisors (OR: 7.48, 95% CI: 1.71-39.0).Conclusion

Both female and male physicians reported to have held similar career aspirations at onset of their career, while sex differences emerged during career progression. Supervisors' unfavorable views on parenthood and gender discrimination in association with female physicians' career aspirations may guide workplace-tailored strategies to close the leak in the pipeline towards medical leadership.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{moor2026sexspecific,
  title = {{Sex-specific determinants of leadership aspirations among general internal medicine physicians in Switzerland.}},
  author = {Jeanne Moor and Lena Woodtli and Christine Baumgartner and Karolina Kublickiene and Sven Streit and Christa Nater},
  journal = {BMC medical education},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.1186/s12909-026-10044-w},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958271},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Sex-specific determinants of leadership aspirations among general internal medicine physicians in Switzerland.
AU  - Jeanne Moor
AU  - Lena Woodtli
AU  - Christine Baumgartner
AU  - Karolina Kublickiene
AU  - Sven Streit
AU  - Christa Nater
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/01
JO  - BMC medical education
DO  - 10.1186/s12909-026-10044-w
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958271
AB  - Background  A "leaky pipeline" exists in leadership for medicine in Switzerland, with majorities of women among resident or attending physicians, yet only 32% female senior and 16% chief physicians. Here, we examined factors associated with career ambitions of General Internal Medicine (GIM) physicians.Methods  We performed a cross-sectional web-based survey among GIM physicians in Switzerland. Outcome was the intent of becoming senior or chief physician. Exposures included workplace-related factors including network, supervisor's support and gender-related discrimination and personal factors including Physician Well-being index and family situation.Results  The sample included 624 physicians, of which 60% were women. During medical school, career aspirations of men and women were comparable. Yet, in their current aspiration towards leadership, men more frequently reported high aspirations than women (17% vs. 11%) (p = 0.03). Higher career aspiration was present among those who were more satisfied with their work (OR: 3.26, 95% CI: 1.56-7.73). Among men, higher career aspiration was associated with a lower probability of pathological well-being (OR: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.50). Among women, higher career aspiration was associated with reporting gender discrimination or facing negative views on parenthood by their supervisors (OR: 7.48, 95% CI: 1.71-39.0).Conclusion  Both female and male physicians reported to have held similar career aspirations at onset of their career, while sex differences emerged during career progression. Supervisors' unfavorable views on parenthood and gender discrimination in association with female physicians' career aspirations may guide workplace-tailored strategies to close the leak in the pipeline towards medical leadership.
SN  - 1472-6920
ER  -