Black pediatricians: career concerns and choices

A survey of black pediatricians and comparison data from surveys of pediatricians as a whole are used to address these study questions: (1) What aspects of black pediatricians' careers are related to career satisfaction? (2) What problems do black pediatricians face in starting their careers? (3) Are the problems black pediatricians face similar to those other pediatricians face? Results show black pediatricians to be generally satisfied with their careers. They are more likely than other pediatricians to experience problems in the financing and business aspects of launching careers, however, and in peer support and role models. A finding that career satisfaction is related to a belief that organizational membership is important to careers is explored. Black pediatricians are still severely underrepresented in the profession compared with the number of blacks in the population.