Date Presented 03/21/24
OT and physical therapy faculty transitioning from clinical practice to academia face a new set of tasks. The requirements to make service contributions, to meet teaching load requirements, and to participate in scholarly projects can lead to job dissatisfaction.
Primary Author and Speaker: Cody Cox
Additional Authors and Speakers: Sara L. Wyckoff
Contributing Authors: James Lewis
PURPOSE: Transitioning from clinical practice to academia as an Occupational or Physical Therapist is a notable change and may present various challenges. While it is necessary to have clinical experience, the tasks of teaching, scholarship and service to the University comprise quite different skill sets (Smith et al, 2019, Lyon, 2016). With new skills to master, finding a good balance between work and life proves challenging. We also inquired about the balance between time spent addressing each of the pillars and job satisfaction.
DESIGN: This study surveyed sixty-seven core OT and PT faculty to learn how well they were prepared for the three pillars of academia: teaching, scholarship, and service. Likert scale and open-ended questions were utilized in a mixed method design.
METHOD: an email survey was sent to social media platforms. Sixty-seven core faculty responded. Correlation Analysis utilized SPSS. Quantitative coding was done by hand between the three authors.
RESULTS: The amount of preparation varied, as did preference for each of the pillars. Respondents overwhelmingly valued teaching above service and scholarship. The amount of work required was surprising to some new professors. Job satisfaction as measured by work/life balance was also queried. Those who felt better prepared reported higher satisfaction. Longer time in academia also contributed to a sense of balance between life and work.
CONCLUSION: Core faculty with strong clinical skills serves the students well. Recognizing that the transition to academia requires a new set of skills and supporting transitioning faculty is important. More mentoring and preparation is needed to recruit and retain clinicians as academics.
References
Smith, S., Karosa, L., & Beauchesne, M. A. (2019). Preparing for the transition from clinical practice to academia. Journal of American Association of Nurse Practitioners 31,2. https://doi.org/10.10971/JXX0000000000000190
Lyon, S. (2016). What’s it like to be an OT working in academia? Otpotential.com. Http//:What’s It Like To Be an OT Working in Academia? • OT Potential
