U.S. Perspective: What Considerations to Consider in Building a Retirement Guidance Model for Pediatric Educators?

For pediatric educators, retirement is an important stage in the course of their professional and personal lives. A smooth transition to retirement is critical for clinical educators, clinical medical researchers, and faculty at other medical centers. However, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive guidance model to help retirees make informed retirement decisions, or to guide institutions and professional bodies on how to effectively leverage the experience of senior faculty to enhance the sense of purpose of retirees or retirees.

This year, a study published in the Journal of Pediatrics by Tolleson-Rinehart and his research team delved into the career transition of senior teachers. By surveying the views of chairs and professors in the Department of Paediatrics, they revealed a range of perspectives on career transition, providing us with valuable up-to-date information.

There are several factors that are generally considered to be crucial in the retirement process. These factors include:

Job satisfaction

When building a retirement model, we want to pay special attention to two factors: job satisfaction and burnout. For those who love what they do, leaving a job can be challenging. And those who feel "burnout" at work may be more inclined to choose early retirement. Therefore, when designing a retirement model, it is important to consider the employee's job satisfaction before retirement, as well as the professional and personal issues associated with it. In this way, the retirement model designed and implemented can be more comprehensive and practical.

finance

It is also important to address the issue of fiscal responsibility and retirement funding. In particular, women are over-represented in the paediatric academic faculty, but they are often underpaid and may face early retirement. It's also important to note that doctors are often not good at financial planning, especially when they are experiencing a sudden critical illness or unexpected family responsibilities.

Interpersonal coordination

Adequate communication and effective coordination with spouses, partners, family and friends is essential. Whether it's the exact timing of retirement or a possible migration plan, we need to think it out and discuss it together.

Self-worth and identity

Leaving a stimulating academic environment is a major change in everyone's life. Faced with this shift, some people feel anticipation and excitement, while others may feel uneasy or even fall into depression. Retirement brings about many changes in various aspects of daily life, such as routines, interpersonal interactions, academic challenges, the way patients communicate, and changes in one's professional identity. In addition, the loss of a license to practice, as well as the separation from the national medical organization, can have a profound impact on an individual's sense of self-worth.

Maintain a connection with the academic community

When making a retirement decision, one of the issues that needs to be carefully weighed is whether to choose to work part-time, leave the workforce altogether, or look for volunteering opportunities. If you choose to take the part-time path, you need to carefully evaluate whether the needs of the part-time agency are in line with your ongoing interests. In this way, you can make more informed choices and make your retirement life more fulfilling and meaningful.

Be physically and mentally healthy

Health, a wealth that cannot be measured by money, is cherished by everyone. But as the years go by, it is not easy to keep this health. Once a serious health problem arises, it can greatly affect our satisfaction with retirement. Similarly, as friends and family members in our social support network age or pass away, this change can have a profound impact on our retirement life.

occasion

Choosing when to retire is an important decision that can be related to professional satisfaction, commitment to patients, and personal financial security. This decision is based on factors such as how to balance work and personal interests, when to disclose retirement plans, and how to ensure a smooth transition. At the same time, it is important to consider unpredictable circumstances, such as health issues or changes in the needs of the organization, which can affect retirement plans. Therefore, choosing the right time to retire is crucial and requires comprehensive consideration and careful decision-making.

With our current research still relatively limited, it can be challenging to determine which factors most accurately predict a satisfying and smooth retirement. But there are three key areas of research that deserve in-depth exploration: First, personal and professional factors, including traits such as personality, self-worth, and resilience, which may be closely related to the success of retirement. So, how do these personal traits influence retirement satisfaction and perception? What are the differences in retirement planning and satisfaction between people of different genders, races, and occupations?

Second, we need to look at the various variables in the retirement transition process, such as whether you choose to retire fully or semi-retirement, and how the length of work after retirement affects retirement satisfaction. Also, which financial strategy will lead to the best retirement results, and will this effect vary depending on the individual's career and characteristics?

Finally, we cannot ignore the important role of institutions and organizations in exploring effective retirement pathways. Clinical educators are critical to an institution's development, reputation, work climate, and student education, so their satisfaction is directly related to the institution's success. In addition to the usual health insurance and pension issues, do organizations need to develop more comprehensive plans to engage retired employees in activities that align with the organization's mission to improve retirement satisfaction for those who work in clinical education, research faculty, or full-time health care educators? In addition, what role can national organizations play in setting retirement policies and research agendas?

For those who are thinking about retirement, a research-based model is undoubtedly very important. Therefore, we call on academic leaders, heads of medical institutions, and national organizations to strongly support this critical area of research. After all, clinical educators who are working the medical center's mission and at the forefront of educational innovation also need to understand what it takes to have a smooth retirement.

文献索引：Greenberg L, Fischel JE, Siegel B. The Transition to Retirement for the Clinician Educator: A Gap in the Academic Life Cycle of Pediatric Faculty. J Pediatr. Published online February 22, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.113978