A survival guide for aspiring academic psychiatrists : personality attributes and opportunities for academic success

Many residents in psychiatric residency training are interested in an "academic career" Recognizing that current academic departments require excellent teachers, clinicians, and administrators in addition to researchers, medical schools and their universities are wrestling with titles and tenure as they attempt to provide opportunities via a variety of academic career paths. What constitutes the most suitable career path for the academic aspirant depends on the person's goals, motivations, interests, values, personality style, talents, background, and training, as well as historically and geographically available training, mentoring, and employment opportunities. The authors examine alternative definitions of "academic success," relate these to the variety of personality types and opportunities found in academic settings, and provide some guidelines for advancement along the available career paths.