Supporting Career Transitions of Senior Faculty: Perspectives of Chairs and Full Professors

Julie Storey Byerley, MD, now President and Dean of the Geisinger. Commonwealth School of Medicine, used to tell medical students at the University of North Carolina, where she was an educator, “We are preparing you for a 40-year career.” Indeed, many academic medical centers, including departments of pediatrics, devote extraordinary levels of attention to learners, trainees, and early career faculty to promote those “40-year careers.” 1 Rosenthal S.L. Gamble C. Landers S.E. Stanberry L.R. Faculty development programming within pediatric departments: is it really happening? What their Webpages tell US. J Pediatr. 2019; 206: 4-5https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.12.059 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar However, we spend much less time or effort thinking about how to bring long careers to their last chapter and end with a gratifying close. 2 Stearns J. Everard K.M. Gjerde C.L. Stearns M. Shore W. Understanding the needs and concerns of senior faculty in academic medicine: building strategies to maintain this critical resource. Acad Med. 2013; 88: 1927-1933https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000010 Crossref PubMed Scopus (28) Google Scholar , 3 Hall J.G. The challenge of developing career pathways for senior academic pediatricians. Pediatr Res. 2005; 57: 914-919https://doi.org/10.1203/01.PDR.0000158014.46884.E5 Crossref PubMed Scopus (22) Google Scholar , 4 Cain J.M. Felice M.E. Ockene J.K. Milner R.J. Congdon J.L. Tosi S. et al. Meeting the late-career needs of faculty transitioning through retirement: one institution's approach. Acad Med. 2018; 93: 435-439https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000001905 Crossref Scopus (12) Google Scholar Academia has recently been characterized as “behind” in its development of policies and planning for late career transitions. 5 Skarupski K.A. Dandar V. Mylona E. Chatterjee A. Welch C. Singh M. Late-career faculty: a survey of faculty affairs and faculty development leaders of U.S. Medical schools. Acad Med. 2020; 95: 234-240https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000002849 Crossref PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar In order to stimulate conversation—and perhaps generate best practices—we sought the perspective of pediatrics chairs nationally, as well as full professors from 2 diverse institutions, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and Columbia University Irving Medical Center.