Faculty attrition among three specialties.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Physician Workforce Studies
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• Faculty attrition is a significant concern in academic medicine, potentially impacting training and research.
• Understanding attrition rates and reasons is crucial for retaining faculty in high-demand specialties.
• Emergency medicine faces unique challenges in faculty retention compared to other medical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare faculty attrition rates in emergency medicine with those in orthopedic surgery and cardiology.
• To investigate the factors influencing faculty departure from these specialties.
• To analyze work hours and motivations for leaving among physicians in emergency medicine, orthopedics, and cardiology.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to chairmen of emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, and cardiology departments.
• Data collected included faculty attrition rates, work hours, and reasons for departure.
• Surveys were also administered to emergency physicians who had left their positions.

Main Results:

• Response rates were high across all surveyed departments (EM: 67/68, Ortho: 53/58, Cardio: 47/54).
• Overall faculty attrition in emergency medicine was 10% (67/670), with no significant difference compared to orthopedic surgery and cardiology (P = .75).
• Orthopedic surgeons and cardiologists reported working more total weekly hours but fewer night hours than emergency physicians (P = .001 and P = .03, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Faculty attrition rates are similar across emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, and cardiology.
• While emergency physicians work more total hours, this does not appear to drive higher attrition rates compared to other specialties.
• Further research may explore specific retention strategies tailored to the unique demands of emergency medicine faculty.