Hunter College, City University of New York, New York City, NY, United States of America.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2021 May 6;16(5):e0250662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250662. eCollection 2021.
The decision of whether to pursue a tenure-track faculty position has become increasingly difficult for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees considering a career in research. Trainees express concerns over job availability, financial insecurity, and other perceived challenges associated with pursuing an academic position.
To help further elucidate the benefits, challenges, and strategies for pursuing an academic career, a diverse sample of postdoctoral scholars ("postdocs") from across the United States were asked to provide advice on pursuing a research career in academia in response to an open-ended survey question. 994 responses were qualitatively analyzed using both content and thematic analyses. 177 unique codes, 20 categories, and 10 subthemes emerged from the data and were generalized into two thematic areas: Life in Academia and Strategies for Success.
On life in academia, postdoc respondents overwhelmingly agree that academia is most rewarding when you are truly passionate about scientific research and discovery. 'Passion' emerged as the most frequently cited code, referenced 189 times. Financial insecurity, work-life balance, securing grant funding, academic politics, and a competitive job market emerged as challenges of academic research. The survey respondents note that while passion and hard work are necessary, they are not always sufficient to overcome these challenges. The postdocs encourage trainees to be realistic about career expectations and to prepare broadly for career paths that align with their interests, skills, and values. Strategies recommended for perseverance include periodic self-reflection, mental health support, and carefully selecting mentors.
For early-career scientists along the training continuum, this advice deserves critical reflection before committing to an academic research career. For advisors and institutions, this work provides a unique perspective from postdoctoral scholars on elements of the academic training path that can be improved to increase retention, career satisfaction, and preparation for the scientific workforce.
对于考虑从事研究工作的本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员来说，是否追求终身教职的决定变得越来越困难。受训人员对工作机会、财务不稳定以及与追求学术职位相关的其他感知挑战表示担忧。
为了更深入地阐明追求学术职业的好处、挑战和策略，我们请来自美国各地的多元化博士后学者（“博士后”）针对一个开放式调查问题提供有关从事学术研究职业的建议。对 994 份回复进行了定性分析，使用内容分析和主题分析。从数据中得出了 177 个独特的代码、20 个类别和 10 个子主题，并将其概括为两个主题领域：学术界的生活和成功策略。
在学术界的生活方面，博士后受访者压倒性地认为，只有当你对科学研究和发现真正充满热情时，学术界才是最有回报的。“激情”是出现频率最高的代码，被引用了 189 次。财政不稳定、工作与生活平衡、获得资助、学术政治和竞争激烈的就业市场是学术研究的挑战。调查受访者指出，虽然激情和努力工作是必要的，但它们并不总是足以克服这些挑战。博士后鼓励受训人员对职业期望持现实态度，并为与自己的兴趣、技能和价值观相符的职业道路做好广泛准备。建议坚持的策略包括定期自我反思、心理健康支持以及谨慎选择导师。
对于培训过程中的早期职业科学家来说，在承诺从事学术研究职业之前，这些建议值得批判性思考。对于顾问和机构来说，这项工作提供了博士后学者对学术培训路径的独特视角，可以改进这些路径，以提高保留率、职业满意度和为科学劳动力做准备。
