Authors: Donovan AL et al.
Journal: Anesthesiology, Accepted December 26, 2025. DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005920
Summary
This qualitative focus group study explored how anesthesiologists in academic practice define career fulfillment and navigate competing clinical, academic, and personal demands across different career stages. Given that anesthesiologists report the highest intent to leave academic medicine among medical specialties, the authors aimed to identify individual-level strategies that support long-term satisfaction and retention in academic anesthesiology.
Faculty members representing diverse subspecialties, academic roles, career stages, and personal identities participated in structured virtual focus groups at a single academic institution. Groups were stratified by career stage and gender, with additional sessions focused on underrepresented-in-medicine faculty, parents, and researchers. An inductive thematic analysis of de-identified transcripts yielded five overarching themes that collectively describe how academic anesthesiologists conceptualize meaningful work and sustainable careers.
A central concept was the use of a “Purposeful Yes,” emphasizing intentional acceptance of professional opportunities aligned with personal values and long-term goals. Participants highlighted the importance of understanding personal motivators, integrating work with life priorities, recognizing career evolution over time, and addressing impostor phenomenon as a persistent challenge even among established faculty. Rather than a one-size-fits-all pathway, participants described careers as dynamic arcs requiring periodic reassessment.
These themes were synthesized into a practical conceptual framework composed of guiding questions designed to help faculty clarify priorities, strategically allocate effort, build mentorship networks, and reassess career alignment over time. The framework is intended as a tool for individual reflection rather than an institutional mandate, offering a structured approach to sustaining fulfillment in academic anesthesiology.
Key Points
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Academic anesthesiologists report high intent to leave academia, highlighting the need for targeted retention strategies.
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Career fulfillment is highly individualized and evolves across career stages.
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Intentional decision-making through a “Purposeful Yes” helps align opportunities with personal values.
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Understanding motivators, integrating work and life, and acknowledging impostor phenomenon are central to sustainability.
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A question-based conceptual framework may assist faculty in shaping meaningful, durable academic careers.
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