Current income profile for academic pediatric emergency medicine faculty

Study Objectives: To survey academie pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) pro grams for information on financial compensation and patient care activities of PEM faculty and compare the results to the financial data published by the AAEM, AAAP, and MGMA. Methods: A survey was mailed to program directors requesting information on medical school affiliation, ED census, recruitment, patient care activity and annual income for each academic rank. The survey also included question s on CME benefits, and income adjustment mechanisms/bonus plans for PEM fac ulty. The survey income data were stratified by program size and geographic region and then compared to income data from the AAMC, AAAP, and MGMA. Results: Of 47 eligible programs, 37 (78.7%) responded, and four were exclu ded. Mean number of clinical hours per week for academic faculty and clinic al faculty were 27.9 +/- 3.5 and 32.4 +/- as, respectively, (P = 0.000). Cl inical appointments in academic departments were offered by 82% of the prog rams. Mean annual income for all academic ranks was $121,503 +/- $15,795, a nd is nearly $37,000 less than the annual income for academic adult emergen cy medicine (AEM) faculty, Compared to medium and large programs, small pro grams are offering higher salaries to recent fellowship graduates (P = 0.00 4). When income data were stratified by program size or geographic region, no significant difference in average annual income was observed. Bonus or i ncentive plans were available only in 45.5% of the programs. Conclusion: Direct patient care responsibility of PEM academic faculty has not changed significantly in the past 13 years, despite the availability of clinical appointments within most of the surveyed programs. Our data indic ate that the annual income for PEM Faculty in academic institutions: is sig nificantly less than AEM faculty. No significant difference was observed be tween programs at the assistant, associate, or full professor level when st ratified by size. or geographic region, Bonus/incentive plans for exception al patient care or scholarly activity were available in less than half of t he surveyed programs.