SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Successful Recruitment and Retention of Academic Hospitalists: Hiring for Longevity, Productivity and Leadership in Hospital Medicine

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This Mayo Clinic study examined whether characteristics known at hiring predict longevity, scholarly productivity, promotion, and leadership among academic hospitalists in Rochester, Minnesota. Researchers reviewed human resources and divisional records for 73 physicians, using hire/separation dates, publication history, and leadership roles as outcome measures.<br /><br />The division grew steadily over time, with hiring outpacing attrition. Average time in the division was 84 months, and women were more likely to remain at least five years; no female physician left before five years. Female physicians also made up a larger share of recent hires.<br /><br />Overall, no pre-employment factor was a reliable predictor of later academic productivity. In particular, having more than one publication at hiring was not associated with better long-term publication output. The average career publication rate for academic hospitalists was 1.29 papers per year, though productivity varied widely. Only 8 of 73 physicians (11%) achieved senior academic rank, and those few had much higher publication rates and h-index values than the rest of the division.<br /><br />Leadership patterns differed from scholarship patterns. U.S. medical graduates were more likely to hold leadership positions and to reach senior rank, while international medical graduates did not reach senior professor levels in this cohort. Completing a post-residency fellowship was associated with fewer leadership roles, and physicians with no publications at hiring were more likely to take on leadership positions than those with publications.<br /><br />The study concluded that commonly assumed hiring markers—such as regional ties, academic residency, advanced degrees, or prior publications—did not reliably predict longevity or productivity. The authors suggest that academic hospitalists may enter practice with different career goals, with some emphasizing administrative leadership and others research, and that hiring decisions should reflect this diversity.

Asset Subtitle

Richard M. Elias

Meta Tag

Author List Deanne T. Kashiwagi, Karen M. Fischer, Richard M. Elias, Trevor Coons

Category Research

Concept Career Longevity

Concept Scholarly Productivity

Concept Pre-hiring Candidate Characteristics

Concept Retained Staffing

Concept Leadership

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Mayo Clinic

Presenting Author Richard M. Elias

Track Value in Hospital Medicine

Keywords

Mayo Clinic

academic hospitalists

longevity

scholarly productivity

promotion

leadership

hiring characteristics

publication history

senior academic rank

medical graduates

Career Longevity

Scholarly Productivity

Pre-hiring Candidate Characteristics

Retained Staffing

Leadership