In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) started the Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study (PLACES) to follow early- and mid-career pediatricians annually to assess work-life balance issues such as career satisfaction and well-being. Two cohorts were recruited in 2012 to participate in PLACEs—graduates of residency programs who finished their training in 2002–2004 and newer graduates from 2009–2011. Frintner et al., who oversee the PLACES study, share an update on how these cohorts have fared from 2012 through 2021, from before through the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (10.1542/peds.2023-063345).
Before the pandemic, 8 in 10 pediatricians were satisfied with their careers and 9 in 10 found their work personally rewarding. The more recent findings raise important concerns. Women had lower career satisfaction and lower measures of well-being. Only general health was not reduced. Anxiety, sadness, and work stress all increased for women compared with men since the pandemic.
In 2024, the AAP added a new strategic priority for 2024 to address wellbeing within the pediatric profession. There is much more information to be shared by linking to this article and recognizing how we need to be part of the AAP’s work on improving our wellbeing, especially the wellbeing of women in our field, if we want to ensure that our workforce remains strong and highly satisfied with a career in pediatrics.
