Abstract

There are many undefined aspects to an academic medical career. This article attempts to provide some guidance about things to consider.

Highlights

  • I trained in medical/clinical genetics and pediatrics

  • I have been heavily engaged in medical genetic service delivery and training of clinical genetics fellows

  • When I was born, my life expectancy was 59 years, but over the last 70 years, that has changed, such that my life expectancy is in the late 80s because I am a woman on the West Coast of Canada

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Summary

Reflections on an academic career

Departments of Medical Genetics and Pediatrics, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As I reflect on my academic career, I recognize several patterns, and some helpful insights emerge. I thought it might be useful to reflect in general on an academic career in the early 21st century. Mine has been in health sciences, but the concepts are potentially useful to all academic careers. I trained in medical/clinical genetics and pediatrics. I have been heavily engaged in medical genetic service delivery and training of clinical genetics fellows. I was head of two clinical genetics units for about 9 years each: one in Seattle, WA and the other in Vancouver, BC. I was the Chair of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for 10 years. I quite looked forward to retirement because it was possible to plan and set aside many projects to undertake after retirement

Changing Demographics
Trajectory of an Academic Career
Ten Career Changes Over a Lifetime
Invited Commentary
Learn the System at Your Place
No Single Way
Your curriculum during training
How many years of postdoctoral training are you expecting?
The academic stool
Keeping lists
The Third Decade
Get a life and keep a life
Women professionals
The five goods
The Fourth Decade
Findings
The Fifth Decade

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