Academic Careers

'An investment in knowledge pays the best interest' Benjamin Franklin

Building a successful academic career is a deliberate and planned undertaking that requires preparation, guidance and a tireless commitment to your goals.

Many staff begin their career with high aspirations, only to find the ability to adequately and equally focus on the patient care, research, educational and administrative aspects of their career extremely daunting or confusing at the very least. It is evident there is a broad range of contributing factors for this across all disciplines including:

1. There is an ongoing conflict between dedicating sufficient time for providing patient care versus undertaking research or delivering education. The pressure created by this dichotomy often results in academic pursuits being placed on hold or eventually abandoned.
   
   
2. Participation in research and education is not widely recognised as being part of routine practice. Examples of this include less emphasis being placed on experience within research and education during appointment processes and lack of support to undertake research or educational activities.
   
   
3. Staff members largely being left to navigate their own way through the system without structured guidance on how to establish an academic career. For example post fellowship training often occurs in isolation without clear pathways into a hospital appointment or without support for transitioning a fellow's research into their clinical practice.
   
   
4. Limited exposure and experience of staff in being involved with research and/or providing education, which can make knowing where to start difficult.

The IAS aims to overcome these barriers by advancing academic career pathways through the implementation of structured programs, the provision of mentorship and guidance, and the facilitation of change by advocating for greater emphasis to be placed on research and education.

Find out more here about how funding models, pathways for academics surgeons and navigating an academic career.