Parenthood, Parental Benefits, and Career Goals Among Pediatric Residents: 2008 and 2019

OBJECTIVES Examine reported availability of parental benefits for pediatric residents and impact of parenthood on reported importance of characteristics of post-training positions and career goals in 2008 and 2019. METHODS We analyzed data from American Academy of Pediatrics surveys of graduating residents in 2008 and 2019 querying (1) parenthood, (2) benefits during residency, (3) importance of parental benefits and job characteristics in post-training position, and (4) subspecialty career goal. Logistic regression was used to estimate independent effects of gender, partner status, and parenthood via derived predicted values (PVs). RESULTS Of 1021 respondents, three-fourths were women. Respondents in 2019 were less likely than in 2008 to have children (24.5% vs 33.8%, P < .01). In 2019, respondents were less likely to report availability of maternity (PV = 78.5% vs 89.5%, P < .001) or parental leave (PV = 42.5% vs 59.2%, P < .001) and more likely to report availability of lactation space (PV = 77.8% vs 56.1%, P < .001.). Most residents reported control over work hours, family considerations, and number of overnight calls per month as essential or very important characteristics in post-training positions. Controlling for resident characteristics, parenthood was associated with importance of family considerations and overnight calls in post-training position. Parenthood did not associate with subspecialty career goals, but gender did. CONCLUSIONS Residents are less likely to report availability of parental benefits during residency training in 2019. Most residents, both those with children and those without, consider parent friendly characteristics important in post-training positions. Parenthood does not correlate with subspecialty career goals independent from gender.

Digital frontiers in international psychiatric recruitment: the lessons of the Northwest School of Psychiatry careers event November 2020

AimsA low level of psychiatric recruitment is a global issue[1]. The RCPsych & UK Mental Health Trusts jointly run School Events as part of a recruitment strategy. The North West has been running such events for the past years. After our first virtual event, we compare the quality, effectiveness and experience of a face-to-face (F2F) recruitment programme in 2018 with our first remote recruitment programme in 2020. In a world of fast paced technology, we reflect on what lies in the horizon for international psychiatric recruitment.MethodThe recruitment programme was organised by 4 psychiatric trainees affiliated to each mental health trust. A two-day remote programme on the Zoom platform comprising of 45-minute slots was created. Through their own experiences of inspirational speakers, trainees contacted speakers representing different specialities, teaching styles and philosophical outlooks.Pre and Post Programme questionnaires and certificates of attendance were shared with speakers and attendees. These were compared with Pre and Post Programme questionnaires from the F2F event in 2018.ResultWhen compared to the 2018 F2F programme, the 2020 virtual recruitment programme attracted a higher number and wider variety of applicants, in gender (62% female/38%male), nationality (UK 79%/Non-UK 22%), as well as wider distribution in age, UK deanery and training position. Despite the elimination of cost, the quality of teaching was rated higher than F2F due to the availability of high quality speakers (100% would recommend to a friend; 72% rated excellent). Whilst the programme was effective in changing minds, this did not exceed F2F recruitment rates. F2F recruitment feedback focussed on inclusion of sub-specialities, whereas virtual programme feedback focussed on ways to enhance interaction. Feedback focussed on technological applications such as interactive quizzes, breakout rooms, play-acting, and having the benefit of clinical vignettes or speakers’ personal stories to bring talks to life.ConclusionThe use of remote technology transcended geographical and demographic frontiers. A variety of high-quality speakers, directly appealing to an international cohort were sourced, at no monetary cost. In future, the budget will be used in interactive applications, and time-limited session recordings. As the participants hungered for personal connections, we recommend a blended programme, with links to taster sessions, retaining the advantages of both strategies.

Nursing interventions in intensive care unit patients with breathing difficulties: A scoping review of the evidence

For patients in intensive care units, long periods of bed rest and restricted physical activity can result in adverse side effects. One of the conditions many patients experience during intensive care unit stays is breathing difficulty. Here, we aimed to identify and evaluate the evidence base for nonpharmacological or nontechnical interventions targeting breathing difficulties, and to propose interventions needing further investigations. This study is reported in accordance with PRISMA for Scoping Reviews. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane. A scoping review was undertaken using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. In all, 1190 records were found and 27 of them were included in the review. Interventions targeting breathing difficulties were chest physiotherapy, breathing techniques, inspiratory muscle training, early exercise training, position-specific optimization, and other nonpharmacological interventions. Several of the interventions showed minor beneficial effects. However, because of limitations in the studies, the findings are inconclusive and need further research.

Mission Accomplished: The ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows Completes Its Objectives, but Its Legacy and Spirit Live On

After 15 years of existence, the ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows will dissolve, primarily due to lack of renewed financial sponsorship. While in operation, the Coalition organized 32 new training position for veterinary pathologists, supported by $7.4 M from sponsors, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, private individuals and allied veterinary pathology support groups. All residual funds will be donated to ACVP and STP with the understanding that the two organizations will use these funds to enhance training by collaborating on outreach efforts, thus maintaining the legacy and spirit of the Coalition.

Mission Accomplished: The ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows Completes Its Objectives, but Its Legacy and Spirit Live On

After 15 years of existence, the ACVP/STP Coalition for Veterinary Pathology Fellows will dissolve, primarily due to lack of renewed financial sponsorship. While in operation, the Coalition organized 32 new training position for veterinary pathologists, supported by $7.4 M from sponsors, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations, private individuals and allied veterinary pathology support groups. All residual funds will be donated to ACVP and STP with the understanding that the two organizations will use these funds to enhance training by collaborating on outreach efforts, thus maintaining the legacy and spirit of the Coalition.

How Labor-Market Integration Affects Perceptions of Discrimination: School-to-Apprenticeship Transitions of Youth with Migration Background in Germany

This article examines the relationship between structural integration and perceived discrimination among young people with migration backgrounds in Germany. Assimilation theories expect ethnic boundaries to lessen through minority groups’ upward mobility, while the recently proposed integration paradox asserts that structural integration increases perceptions of discrimination. Using longitudinal data from the German National Educational Panel Study, this article investigates how a successful transition from school to the training market affects young people’s perceptions of ethnic discrimination. Results of propensity score matching and linear probability models show that perceptions of discrimination increase only in response to unsuccessful entry into the training market, partially due to occupational aspirations and personal discrimination experiences. Findings also show that perceptions of discrimination do not increase for young people who are well integrated in the educational system, even if they take up a training position that is not in accordance with their desired profession. These findings highlight the importance of considering perceptions of discrimination in longitudinal and life-course perspectives to better understanding dynamics in these perceptions.

Trainee experiences in a specialist neuropsychiatry training position

Objective: To explore trainee perceptions of a specialist training post in neuropsychiatry. Method: Of 47 past trainees who had worked in the Neuropsychiatry Unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital during the period 1993 to 2017, 32 (68%) completed an online questionnaire including 10 questions, 4 of which asked for open-ended responses. Results: Most trainees provided positive feedback about their past experiences working on the unit, including utilizing knowledge and experience in their current practice. To an open question about how working on the unit influenced career choices 21/31 (68%) responses were positive. The remaining 10 responses highlighted areas of improvement for the trainee positions. Conclusions: The specialty training position within neuropsychiatry was very popular among past trainees, the majority of whom endorsed using the knowledge learnt in neuropsychiatry in their current practice and recommended work on the unit to future trainees.

Unfilled Training Positions in Germany – Regional and Establishment-Specific Determinants

The current situation in the German apprenticeship market is characterized by two contradictory developments. On the one hand, establishments are experiencing increasing problems filling the training positions they offer, and the number of vacant training positions is climbing. On the other hand, the transition into training is still difficult for many young people, and the number of unsuccessful vocational training applicants is rising. Hence, matching supply with demand is becoming increasingly difficult in the German job market for training positions. Using the Linked Employer-Employee dataset (LIAB) from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), our paper provides a closer examination of the phenomenon of unfilled training positions. It presents an overview of the evolution of vacant training positions in eastern and western Germany and attempts to explain the number of vacancies by investigating the factors responsible for the establishments’ inability to fill their training positions. We assume that training position vacancies are due not only to internal company reasons such as firm size or the wage offer for apprentices but also to external conditions such as general regional factors. Therefore, our analysis also considers the situation on the demand side of the labor market within a region. The results of our multilevel mixed-effects estimations show that in addition to characteristics on the enterprise level, regional determinants also affect the share of vacant apprenticeships. With respect to establishment-related factors, mainly characteristics that describe the attractiveness of the firm prove to be important. With regard to regional-specific factors, we find that the availability of school leavers in a region in addition to the level of regional-sectoral competition impacts the recruiting success of establishments. Our analysis also shows that there are remarkable differences between eastern and western Germany concerning both the quantitative importance of unfilled training positions and the factors affecting them.

The Increasing Importance of Fellowships and Career Development Awards in the Careers of Early-Stage Biomedical Academic Researchers

Excessive competition for biomedical faculty positions has ratcheted up the need to accumulate some mix of high-quality publications and prestigious grants to move from a training position to university faculty. How universities value each of these attributes when considering faculty candidates is critical for understanding what is needed to succeed as academic faculty. In this study, I analyzed publicly available NIH grant information to determine the grants first-time R01 (FTR01) awardees held during their training period. Increases in the percentage of the FTR01 population that held a training award demonstrate these awards are becoming a more common component of a faculty candidate’s resume. The increase was largely due to an expansion of NIH K-series career development awards between 2000 and 2017. FTR01 awardees with a K01, K08, K23, or K99 award were overrepresented in a subset of institutions, whereas FTR01 awardees with F32 fellowships and those with no training award were evenly distributed across institutions. Finally, training awardees from top institutions were overrepresented in the faculty of the majority of institutions, echoing data from other fields where a select few institutions supply an overwhelming majority of the faculty for the rest of the field. These data give important insight into how trainees compete for NIH funding and faculty positions and how institutions prefer those with or without training awards.