Australian dental practitioner perspectives on academic careers

OBJECTIVES Due to forecasted faculty shortages and increasing student enrollments in dental education, there is a need to attract talented clinicians into academia. To address this growing concern, we need to explore dental practitioners' perspectives on the academic career pathway, including enablers and barriers to entering the academic workforce. METHODS A mixed-methods electronic survey was disseminated through professional associations and dental groups on social media in 2018. Qualitative responses were examined using an inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS Participants (n = 85) considered an academic career highly regarded (80%) but indicated there was not a clear pathway (79%) and could not recall it being discussed during their dental studies (85%). It was perceived that experience, further study, and networks all played a significant role in forging an academic career. Perceived benefits to an academic career included professional development opportunities, good employment conditions, and making a meaningful contribution. Barriers included the geographical location of universities, losing clinical skills and the lack of a clear career pathway. CONCLUSION Despite being a highly regarded career, clinicians admit the career pathway to academia is not clear. Improving awareness of academic career paths might be achieved by educating dental students and providing accessible resources to the wider profession.