Midcareer Medical School Research Faculty Perspectives on Vitality and Professionalism During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Key Points Question How do midcareer medical school faculty perceive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives and their work? Findings In this qualitative study of 39 midcareer research faculty, dominant themes included finding increased meaningfulness of work; a sense of professionalism and moral responsibility; enhanced relationships with colleagues; reassertion of career choice; disrupted research; impact on clinical work; attention to health disparities, social justice, and advocacy; increased family responsibilities; psychological stress; and focus on leadership. Meaning In this study of a diverse group of midcareer medical school faculty, the experience of working during the pandemic appeared to have had important positive impacts on physician investigators and PhD scientists, contributing to their vitality and professional dedication that were associated with intrinsic motivators.

Scholarly Productivity of US Medical Schools Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…With the curtailment of in-person work (excluding clinical duties) and spending increasing amounts of time at home under lockdown orders, scientists may have been able to focus more on manuscripts and grant writing. A qualitative study of NIH-funded researchers noted that for some scientists, laboratory closures and lockdowns provided more time for grant writing and manuscript publication and created opportunities to pivot to more personally meaningful research topics 35 . During the COVID-19 pandemic we experienced the expansion of some funding sources to medical schools, including Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding for COVID-19 relief and funding increases at the Department of Health and Human Services for COVID-19 response.…”

“…A qualitative study of NIH-funded researchers noted that for some scientists, laboratory closures and lockdowns provided more time for grant writing and manuscript publication and created to pivot to more personally meaningful research topics. 35 During the COVID-19 pandemic we experienced the expansion of some funding sources to medical schools, including Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding for COVID-19 relief and funding increases at the Department of Health and Human Services for COVID-19 response. COVID-19, however, was not the exclusive topic driving growth in scholarly activity during this time.…”

Decision Conflicts in Clinical Care during COVID-19: A Multi-Perspective Inquiry

“…Protective factors were identified as older age and the availability of information, both underlining the importance of the individual decisional framework. Increased intrinsic motivation to deal with this healthcare crisis [ 25 ] or sociocultural aspects [ 26 ] may also influence the extent of the decisional dilemma during the pandemic, but this was not operationalized in our investigation.…”

Looking Back, Looking Forward

“…Although collegial networks can and do happen online, for many faculty, on-campus networks were severely disrupted by the pandemic and left them isolated from their colleagues and friends. Meaningful work, relationships, and research productivity are motivating factors in faculty success and satisfaction, and the absence of these motivators due to COVID-19 caused stress and burnout (Pololi et al, 2021). These factors ultimately impacted how faculty managed pandemic changes to workload.…”

“…faculty, the pandemic meant isolation from peer networks and university communities (Pololi et al, 2021), increased workload and stress from teaching online, and work-life imbalance and interference (Boamah et al, 2022). This study explored the values and motivations of faculty during this fraught time.…”