Barriers to advancement in academic surgery: Views of senior residents and early career faculty

Amalia Cochran, William B. Elder, Marie Crandall, Karen Brasel, Tricia Hauschild, Leigh Neumayer

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background A significant faculty attrition rate exists in academic surgery. The authors hypothesized that senior residents and early-career faculty members have different perceptions of advancement barriers in academic surgery. Methods A modified version of the Career Barriers Inventory-Revised was administered electronically to surgical residents and early-career surgical faculty members at 8 academic medical centers. Results Residents identified a lack of mentorship as a career barrier about half as often as faculty members. Residents were twice as likely as faculty members to view childbearing as a career barrier. Conclusions Many early-career faculty members cite a lack of mentors as a limitation to their career development in academic surgery. Childbearing remains a complex perceived influence for female faculty members in particular. Female faculty members commonly perceive differential treatment and barriers on the basis of their sex. Faculty development programs should address both systemic and sex-specific obstacles if academic surgery is to remain a vibrant field.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)661-666
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican journal of surgery
Volume206
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Academic surgery
  • Career development
  • Early career

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery

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