Academic hospitalists' views on promotion through the lens of professional identity

Academic promotions are based on assessments of faculty members' contributions to academic medical centers' missions. Promotions ideally motivate excellence, provide a path for advancement, and signal an institution's priorities. Academic internal medicine hospitalists lag behind other fields in promotions.

This study sought to characterize academic hospitalists' experiences of academic promotions, their motivations for pursuing promotion, and the currency for promotion that aligns with their professional identities-how hospitalists see themselves, including their knowledge, skills, values, and activities.

As part of a broader qualitative study of professional identity development, 31 academic hospitalists with <1 to >20 years' experience at three academic centers participated in focus groups. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Five themes were identified: (1) variable clarity of the academic promotions process, (2) anticipated opportunities and validation as motivations for pursuing promotion, (3) variable alignment between hospitalists' professional identity and institutional values (e.g., limited attention to quality of educators' teaching), (4) impact on well-being, and (5) proposed currency for promotion aligned with hospitalists' multifaceted identities both within and outside the context of patient care.

While many academic internal medicine hospitalists recognize the potential value of academic promotions, the perceived alignment between institutional values, as reflected in the currency for promotion, and their own professional identities shapes their motivation to pursue promotion. Opportunities to narrow the gap in promotions include implementing early career mentorship to navigate the process and developing or highlighting existing currency for promotions that align with their professional identities.