Work-Life Balance and Career Experiences of Part-Time Versus Full-Time Faculty at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

R I Med J (2013). 2020 Jun 1;103(5):60-64.

Abstract

Introduction: Part-time faculty are an important part of the academic medical workforce, comprising 11-21% of faculty in some institutions.

Objective: To describe the part-time faculty experience at a single institution across four domains: work-life balance, work environment, leadership and advancement, and mentorship.

Methods: Faculty from the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University were invited to participate in an electronic survey. The authors compared responses between full-time and part-time faculty across the four domains. Results: Survey response rate was 43% (437/1025). Of the 363 who answered the question about employment status, 333 (92%) were full-time and 30 (8%) were part-time. Part-time faculty were less likely to report forgoing personal activities for professional responsibilities, that work conflicted with personal life, that their division director took interest in their careers, and having a leadership position was important to them.

Conclusion: Part-time and full-time faculty reported significant differences in perception of work impact on personal life, division director support, and desire for leadership positions.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Career Mobility
  • Employment*
  • Faculty, Medical / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Job Satisfaction*
  • Male
  • Mentors
  • Middle Aged
  • Rhode Island
  • Schools, Medical / organization & administration*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities
  • Work-Life Balance*