Dual-doctor marriages: career development.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Career development of married doctor couples has not previously been studied. This research evaluated the career development of physicians in dual-doctor marriages to determine whether one spouse's career development took priority over that of the other. METHODS: We studied 21 dual-doctor marriages in England that had been referred to us by other married physician couples. A same-sex interviewer interviewed each partner of each couple alone in a one-hour interview that included closed- and open-ended questions. RESULTS: More than half of the female physicians selected a specialty based on its anticipated effect on their spouses and on childbearing considerations. Only 5% of male physicians considered these factors in selecting a specialty. In contrast to wives, husbands generally worked longer hours, took more call, earned more money, and pursued their professional training in an uninterrupted fashion, never working part time and only rarely changing job location because of the wife's job. CONCLUSIONS: In dual-doctor marriages in Britain, there is a tendency for the husband's career development to take priority over the wife's. Husbands more frequently choose a specialty without considering domestic factors.