The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 152, Issue 3 , Pages 299-300, March 2008

Family-Friendly Conferences: A Commitment to Women in Academia

  • Dena Nazer, MD

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Dena Nazer, MD, Child Protection Center, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, 3901 Beaubien Drive, Detroit, MI 48201.

Child Protection Center, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI.

Article Outline

 

Over the past 2 generations, there has been a dramatic change in the face of medicine as more women enter the profession. Women currently account for almost 70% of trainees entering pediatrics.1 In addition, an increased number of women are pursuing careers in academic medicine.2 This increasing participation of women, along with the high numbers of pediatricians approaching early retirement, is sparking interest in exploring strategies for integrating family and career into one’s life.3

A number of concerns may apply more to women than to men in medicine, and may be especially important in terms of a career in academic pediatrics. There are substantial gender differences in the rewards and opportunities of academic medicine that cannot be attributed to differences in productivity or commitment between men and women.4 In addition, significant gender differences in faculty salaries, ranks, tracks, leadership positions, resources, and perception of academic climate still exist.4, 5 The factors that seem to impede academic progress for women are childbearing and childcare responsibilities, lack of mentors and role models, gender stereotypes, and feelings of isolation. Women tend to have more responsibilities than men in childcare and household tasks.6 This requires more commitment to the family, which can further hinder women’s achievement in academic medicine.

Several of these obstacles have been addressed by the Report of the Task Force on Women in Pediatrics issued by the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO).7 This report made recommendations regarding strategies to help achieve family and work balance during various stages of career development. These recommendations are targeted toward specific considerations that are particularly relevant to women in pediatrics and recognize the importance of mentoring, education, providing childcare, and, most importantly, creating a family-friendly work environment.7

Important aspects of academic medicine include attending conferences, networking with colleagues, and presenting research findings. In addition to time commitment, these events usually require travel, and childcare often poses a major obstacle. Adding to the struggle, the peak of childbearing and child rearing coincides with the peak of professional career development and the need to attend conferences. A family-friendly workplace is contingent on increased accessibility of childcare, improved breast-feeding facilities, and more flexible work schedules.8 These issues also should be addressed at conferences. Although childcare has been addressed in the medical literature as an aspect of a family-friendly workplace,8 as have several aspects of conference organization, to date there have been no reports on childcare during medical conferences.

Few conferences provide adequate information on childcare options for attendees; even fewer provide onsite conference childcare.9 We are fortunate in pediatrics in that childcare is provided at some national and regional meetings. However, even when care is offered, it may not be adequate to allow the mother-pediatrician to feel comfortable in leaving her child for various reasons, including excessive distance between the daycare site and the meeting site, preventing the mother from dropping by to see her child between sessions, and imperfect systems for notifying the mother of any problems being experienced by the child. This situation leaves young faculty mothers with several options: arranging childcare themselves, taking along a family member to provide childcare, or not attending the conference at all. The first two options may not be financially feasible for junior faculty in an early career stage; however, not participating in educational conferences may have a negative effect on a woman’s career and further add to the discrepancies between genders.7

Providing childcare during conferences requires a tremendous amount of work and planning. Issues that may arise include finding sponsors and an accredited local childcare provider who carries sufficient liability insurance and can meet the demands of temporary childcare.9 The childcare must be of high quality. The temporary nature of such care with an provider unknown to both the child and mother may pose problems. As pediatricians devoted to the care of children, we need to take the leading initiative in establishing successful models. Thus, I propose the following guidelines for conference organizers and agencies providing childcare during conferences:

1.The childcare programs need to be advertised along with the conference early enough so that parents can make arrangements. Detailed information on available childcare options should be provided.

2.The childcare facility should be in the same building in which the conference is held, to facilitate visits by the parent. This is especially important for nursing mothers.

3.A means of ready communication between the parents and the childcare provider should be established. Usually, cell phones and pagers must be turned off in conference rooms. Parents need to feel comfortable that the childcare provider can contact then immediately should the need arise.

4.The conference should either provide free childcare or charge only a nominal fee for the service. The financial burden of paying for children’s travel and then childcare in addition to the conference expenses may discourage conference attendance for some families.

5.Extended and variable childcare hours should be made available for the parents.

6.Children’s meals should be provided onsite in lieu of room service or the need for the parent to leave the conference to feed her child.

7.Interactive activities, possibly even involving trips and tours for older children, should be made available.

There is an increasing trend toward providing family-friendly workplaces and promoting a balance between work and family in pediatrics. This trend should extend beyond the boundaries of the workplace to involve conferences, which are a crucial part of academicians’ lives. Providing more quality childcare onsite at conferences will remove another barrier to the success of women in medicine. As pediatricians, we need to take the lead in this area and develop a standard for other specialities and professions to follow. This will lead to not only a more family-friendly workplace, but also a family-friendly career with more balance, satisfaction, higher academic achievement, and, in turn, a healthier future for all children.

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References 

  1. Althouse LA, Stockman JA. Pediatric workforce: a look at general pediatrics data from the American Board of Pediatrics. J Pediatr. 2006;148:166–169
  2. Nonnemaker L. Women physicians in academic medicine: new insights from cohort studies. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:399–405
  3. Shrier DK, Shrier LA, Rich M, Greenberg L. Pediatricians leading the way: integrating a career and a family/personal life over the life cycle. Pediatrics. 2006;117:519–522
  4. Wright AL, Schwindt LA, Bassford TL, Reyna VF, Shisslak CM, St Germain PA, et al. Gender differences in academic advancement: patterns, causes, and potential solutions in one US college of medicine. Acad Med. 2003;78:500–508
  5. Ash AS, Carr PL, Goldstein R, Friedman RH. Compensation and advancement of women in academic medicine: is there equity?. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:205–212
  6. Mayer KL, Ho HS, Goodnight JE. Childbearing and child care in surgery. Arch Surg. 2001;136:649–655
  7. Federation of Pediatric Organizations. Report of the Task Force of Women in Pediatrics. May 2005. www.fopo.orgAccessed September 21, 2007
  8. McPhillips HA, Burke AE, Sheppard K, Pallant A, Stapleton FB, Stanton B. Toward creating family-friendly work environments in pediatrics: baseline data from pediatric department chairs and pediatric program directors. Pediatrics. 2007;119:e596–e602
  9. Pray L. The Lack of conference childcare: a barrier to entry. www.sciencecareers.orgCareer Development:Articles 2003. Accessed September 20, 2007

 EDITOR’s NOTE: In spring 2005, the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO) published The Report of The Task Force on Women in Pediatrics (available at www.fopo.org). This report articulated numerous recommendations toward the goal of providing a culture change that will allow women in academic pediatrics to flourish. Critical to this endpoint is the establishment of a more family-friendly work environment in all of the settings in which academic pediatricians must function. This and related issues are being further addressed by FOPO’s Second Task Force on Women in Pediatrics. The Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) is a member of FOPO and is represented in the Second Task Force on Women in Pediatrics. The AMSPDC is fully committed to the importance of achieving the structural and cultural changes needed to allow women to reach their full potential within pediatrics; we encourage the submission of articles and commentaries addressing these issues for publication in the AMSPDC section of The Journal. The following commentary offers an important perspective by a fellow with 2 young children and her recommendations for childcare at pediatric meetings.—Bonita Stanton, MD, Section Editor, The Journal of Pediatrics

PII: S0022-3476(07)00988-2

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2007.10.023

The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 152, Issue 3 , Pages 299-300, March 2008

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