Academic plastic surgery: faculty recruitment and retention

• Published in: Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1963) Vol. 133; no. 3; p. 393e
• Main Authors: Chen, Jenny T, Girotto, John A, Kitzmiller, W John, Lawrence, W Thomas, Verheyden, Charles N, Vedder, Nicholas B, Coleman, John J, Bentz, Michael L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.2014
• Subjects: Career Mobility; Faculty, Medical - statistics & numerical data; Faculty, Medical - supply & distribution; Humans; Personnel Selection - economics; Personnel Selection - statistics & numerical data; Surgery, Plastic - economics; Surgery, Plastic - education; Surgery, Plastic - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 1529-4242
• DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000438045.06387.63

A critical element of a thriving academic plastic surgery program is the quality of faculty. A decline in recruitment and retention of faculty has been attributed to the many challenges of academic medicine. Given the substantial resources required to develop faculty, academic plastic surgery has a vested interest in improving the process of faculty recruitment and retention. The American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Issues Committee and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Plastic Surgery Foundation Academic Affairs Council surveyed the 83 existing programs in academic plastic surgery in February of 2012. The survey addressed the faculty-related issues in academic plastic surgery programs over the past decade. Recruitment and retention strategies were evaluated. This study was designed to elucidate trends, and define best strategies, on a national level. Academic plastic surgery programs have added substantially more full-time faculty over the past decade. Recruitment efforts are multifaceted and can include guaranteed salary support, moving expenses, nurse practitioner/physician's assistant hires, protected time for research, seed funds to start research programs, and more. Retention efforts can include increased compensation, designation of a leadership appointment, protected academic time, and call dilution. Significant change and growth of academic plastic surgery has occurred in the past decade. Effective faculty recruitment and retention are critical to a successful academic center. Funding sources in addition to physician professional fees (institutional program support, grants, contracts, endowment, and so on) are crucial to sustain the academic missions.