Career Development Support in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: A National Survey of Fellows and Junior Faculty*

Abstract

Objective To determine the perceptions of current pediatric critical care medicine (PCCM) fellows and junior faculty regarding the extent and quality of career development support received during fellowship training. Design Web-based cross-sectional survey open from September to November 2015. Setting Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited PCCM fellowship programs. Participants PCCM fellows (2nd year or higher) and junior faculty (within 5 years of completing a PCCM fellowship program). Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results There were 129 respondents to the survey, representing 63% of ACGME-accredited PCCM fellowship programs. Respondents were evenly divided between fellows and junior faculty. Nearly half (49%) of respondents reported that their PCCM fellowship program provided a formal career development curriculum. Ideal career tracks chosen included academic clinician educator (64%), physician-scientist (27%), community-based (non-academic) clinician (11%), and administrator (11%). There was a disparity in focused career development support provided by programs, with a minority providing good support for those pursuing a community-based clinician track (32%) or administrator track (16%). Only 43% of fellows perceived that they have a good chance of obtaining their ideal PCCM position, with the most common perceived barrier being increased competition for limited job opportunities. Most respondents expressed interest in a program specific to PCCM career development that is sponsored by a national professional organization. Conclusions Most PCCM fellows and junior faculty reported good to excellent career development support during fellowship. However, important gaps remain, particularly for those pursuing community-based (non-academic) and administrative tracks. Fellows were uncertain regarding future PCCM employment and their ability to pursue ideal career tracks. There may be a role for professional organizations to provide additional resources for career development in PCCM.

The research environment of critical care in three Asian countries: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey

“…Providing a roadmap in the research career will attract them and alleviate worries for their future job security. A survey conducted in the United States reported that most clinical trainees felt that spending time and research activity efforts would not necessarily lead to their job security or even a better job ( 28 , 29 ). It should be necessary to build a program to nurture new researchers in Asia across countries and societies.…”

Employment Opportunities for Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship Trained Physicians in the United States

“…Furthermore, most PCCM trainees aspire to practice in large academic institutions after completing PCCM fellowship training. 3 Our results indicate that only 74 (37.2%) of advertised available opportunities to newly graduated fellows were offered in academic centers. Cifra et al, in a survey of PCCM fellows, indicated that 11% of surveyed trainees planned to practice in nonacademic community-based hospital settings, and only 43% of surveyed PCCM fellows thought they have a good chance of obtaining their ideal PCCM opportunity.…”

“…They noted that the most common perceived barrier was the increased competition for limited job opportunities. 3 These job market imbalances could potentially impact job satisfaction among newly graduated PCCM physicians.…”

“…2 Trainees in this subspecialty are concerned about limited employment opportunities upon graduation. 3 However, there is currently a paucity of objective analysis of supply and demand for PCCM positions for PCCM physicians immediately following fellowship. A 2013 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) report projected the growth in supply to exceed the projected growth in demand for adult critical care physicians and nurse practitioners.…”

The Association of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Training Programs with Research Publication Productivity and Employment Outcomes of Their Graduates

“…The reasons for reduced publication productivity after completion of fellowship can be multifactorial, ranging from lack of time, funding, facilities, mentorship, to certainty of succeeding in academic positions. 21 While there is an ABP requirement for trainees to engage in scholarly activity during their fellowship, approximately 60% of these efforts do not culminate in a successful publication. 22 Our metrics of academic productivity using publication outcomes do also not account for time spent with higher clinical workloads, quality improvement initiatives, medical education, administration, or other roles that are necessary to the function of a PICU.…”