WOMEN SURGEONS - CAREER AND LIFE-STYLE COMPARISONS AMONG SURGICAL SUBSPECIALTIES

A national survey of 459 women surgeons yielded a 91.3 percent respons e rate. The largest subspecialties were obstetrics-gynecology (41 perc ent), ophthalmology (21 percent), and general surgery (12 percent). Re presentation in all ''other'' surgical specialties was small (26 perce nt). A comparison of career and lifestyle patterns among the four majo r subspecialties demonstrated no differences in marital status, althou gh ophthalmologists were least likely to remain childless (32 percent) and general surgeons most likely (58 percent). Surgeons in obstetrics -gynecology worked the longest hours, and those in ophthalmology worke d the shortest hours. No subspecialty differences were reported in qua lity-of-life parameters.