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. 2015 Sep;67(9):1191-1201.
doi: 10.1002/acr.22569.

Barriers to and Facilitators of a Career as a Physician-Scientist Among Rheumatologists in the US

Alexis Ogdie  1 , Ami A Shah  2 , Una E Makris  3 , Yihui Jiang  1 , Amanda E Nelson  4 , Alfred H J Kim  5 , Sheila T Angeles-Han  6 , Flavia V Castelino  7 , Amit Golding  8 , Eyal Muscal  9 , J Michelle Kahlenberg  10 , Frances K Barg  1 ; American College of Rheumatology Early Career Investigator Subcommittee of the Committee on Research
Affiliations

Barriers to and Facilitators of a Career as a Physician-Scientist Among Rheumatologists in the US

Alexis Ogdie et al. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To determine perceived barriers to and facilitators of a career in rheumatology research, examine factors leading rheumatologists to leave an academic research career, and solicit ways to best support young physician-scientists.

Methods: A web-based survey was conducted among the domestic American College of Rheumatology (ACR) membership from January through March 2014. Inclusion criteria were ACR membership and an available e-mail address. Non-rheumatologists were excluded. The survey assessed demographics, research participation, barriers to and facilitators of a career in research, reasons for leaving a research career (when applicable), and ways in which the ACR could support junior investigators. Content analysis was used to extract relevant themes.

Results: Among 5,448 domestic ACR members, 502 responses were obtained (9.2% response rate). After exclusions (38 incomplete, 2 duplicates, 32 non-rheumatologists), 430 responses were analyzed. Participants included fellows, young investigators, established investigators, mentors, clinicians, and those who previously pursued a research career but have chosen a different career path. Funding and mentoring were the most highly ranked barriers and facilitators. Protection from clinical and administrative duties, institutional support, and personal characteristics such as resilience and persistence were also ranked highly. The most commonly cited reasons for leaving an academic research career were difficulty obtaining funding and lack of department or division support.

Conclusion: This is the first study to examine barriers to and facilitators of a career in rheumatology research from the perspectives of diverse groups of rheumatologists. Knowledge of such barriers and facilitators may assist in designing interventions to support investigators during vulnerable points in their career development.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None of the authors have conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Barriers to a Career in Research
Among all survey participants, the most commonly sited barriers are shown here for all participants and then subgroups of participants. The x-axis shows the percentage of participants ranking each item as important (defined as ranking the item as 1, 2, or 3 of 10). The barriers are split into the following categories: F: Funding, J: Job Duties, M: Mentoring and Networking, O: Outside Influences, I: Institution, P: Personal skills and characteristics. Additional barriers and p-values for differences between groups are included in Supplemental Table 1.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Facilitators of a Career in Research
Among all survey participants, the most commonly sited facilitators are shown here for all participants and then subgroups of participants. The x-axis shows the percentage of participants ranking each item as important (defined as ranking the item as 1, 2, or 3 of 10). The barriers are split into the following categories: F: Funding, J: Job Duties, M: Mentoring and Networking, O: Outside Influences, I: Institution, P: Personal skills and characteristics. Additional facilitators and p-values for differences between groups are included in Supplemental Table 1.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Formats most useful for presentation of career development and research training initiatives
Participants were asked to select formats for presentation of information relevant to career development and research training for young investigators. Young investigators and mentors identified similar formats as being useful except that young investigators more often selected web-based formats compared to mentors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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