ABSTRACT
Background: Academic leadership, such as through peer-reviewed scholarship, enables life-long learning. However, since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, faculty in Psychiatry, including C/L psychiatrists, lack the time or resources to balance their clinical workload with the academic mission. This opportunity cost drives burnout and leads to underrepresentation of women in senior academic roles [1]. Aim(s): To bolster academic achievement and enhance gender equity among Psychiatry faculty at a large, metropolitan academic medical center, we piloted an IRB-exempt quality improvement study to implement academic coordination: A coordinator assisted all faculty with administrative tasks related to academic advancement over a 6-month duration. Method(s): In the first two months, junior clinical faculty were offered access (n=50);thereafter, all additional faculty (n=35). We tracked hours of coordination;tasks requested by faculty;participant demographics;a Likert-scale assessment of perception of control over time and its impact on wellness [2], pre- and post-matched for the intervention;a Likert-scaled assessment of gains from the program;and a thematic evaluation of free-text responses on gains from the program. For the pre- and post-matched survey, we will use a paired t-test to analyze the data. For thematic evaluation of free-text responses, we will conduct a categorization which ultimately groups inductive codes sharing similar meaning into subthemes. Results (Preliminary): Participation rate: 26 faculty took the pre-program survey;23 faculty requested assistance with tasks;18 matched faculty completed the post-program survey. Pre-program demographics: 92% clinical;65% female and 35% male;4% lecturer, 81% instructor and 15% assistant professors;average years from residency graduation was 8.54 (range 0-47) and average age was 41 (range 32-74). Tasks: 38 tasks were completed through 275 hours of coordination with the majority of requests for academic CV or NIH bio-sketch updates. Additional requests were for background literature searches, reference formatting, journal review and selection, and manuscript formatting. Further data analysis is pending. Discussion(s): Preliminary data demonstrated higher utilization of academic coordination from junior, female faculty. This reveals an emerging opportunity to address gender disparities in professional equity. Conclusion(s): To assist C/L faculty in reconciling the work-work conflict from competing demands in the academic environment and to enhance life-long learning, administrative resources are critical. Further conclusions are pending. References: 1. Davis PB, Meagher EA, Pomeroy C, Lowe WL, Rubenstein AH, Wu JY, Curtis AB, Jackson RD. Pandemic-related barriers to the success of women in research: a framework for action. Nature Medicine. 2022 Mar;28(3):436-8. 2. Fassiotto M, Simard C, Sandborg C, Valantine H, Raymond J. An integrated career coaching and time banking system promoting flexibility, wellness, and success: a pilot program at Stanford University School of Medicine. Academic medicine: journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges. 2018 Jun;93(6):881. Copyright © 2022