Personal values of male and female doctors: gender aspects

The aim of this study was to elucidate the personal values of physicians. It was part of the Physician 93 Study, the purpose of which was to shed light on the life situation, career and future plans of young doctors and their views on medical education. The survey population included all the medical doctors registered during the years 1982-1991 in Finland (N = 4671). In the spring of 1993 a postal questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 2341 doctors. After two reminder letters, 1818 questionnaires (78%) were returned. 59% of the respondents were women. Subjects were asked to rate on a 4-point scale each of a set of 17 potentially important values listed in the questionnaire, five of which were seen by the majority of physicians as very important. These values were: family life, health, close friends, success in work or in studies and children's success. The potentially important values were conceptualized as indicative of eight important dimensions of the values of physicians: close friends, health. self actualization, success, universal values, well-being, family and ideology. Women doctors rated close friends, health, success, universalism and ideology as more important than men doctors.