Interest in academic medicine has declined across specialties and reports note high dissatisfaction and turnover intention among academic physicians. The authors highlight that academic motivation is underexplored specifically in gastroenterology, a specialty in which private practice is prominent in France. The study aimed to (1) identify motivational drivers and barriers to choosing an academic career among gastroenterology residents and (2) describe professional achievement and challenges experienced by university hospital faculty physicians in gastroenterology in France.
The investigation was a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study based on structured online questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to all French gastroenterology residents and to university hospital faculty staff between June 2024 and November 2024. In total, 136 medical residents and 75 graduate (faculty) physicians responded to the survey.
Among residents, 36.0% reported that they were considering an academic career in gastroenterology. The study identified a notable underrepresentation of female residents among those who were considering an academic path.
Among university hospital faculty, academic motivation was reported as lower in women and was also lower among physicians in early and mid stages of their careers. The abstract reports statistical associations between decreased academic motivation and several modifiable and perceptual factors (see below).
The survey reported sex-specific differences in the principal barriers to deciding on an academic career among residents. Female residents more frequently cited lack of self-confidence in their scientific skills, whereas male residents more often reported insufficient salary as a barrier to academic decidedness.
At the faculty level, perceptions of gender inequities in career advancement were common; 57.6% of female physicians reported perceiving gender inequities affecting career progression. The authors indicate that academic motivation was lower in women, suggesting gendered patterns in both interest in and retention within academic gastroenterology.
Decreased academic motivation among university hospital faculty was associated with:
These factors reflect both individual perceptions (confidence, mentorship) and structural constraints (clinical workload reducing research time, perceived inequities).
Across respondents, maintaining work–family balance was identified as a major challenge. The combination of clinical workload pressures, limited mentoring, and perceived inequities were highlighted as contributors to lower academic motivation and as barriers to career advancement in academic gastroenterology.
Based on the reported findings, the authors suggest interventions to strengthen academic recruitment and retention in gastroenterology, specifically:
These recommendations derive from the associations and perceptions reported in the study and are presented as priorities to enhance the appeal and sustainability of academic careers in gastroenterology in France.
The content summarized here is drawn from the article abstract. The abstract provides participant counts, major associations, and authors’ conclusions but does not supply detailed methods, full statistical results, response rates, or additional subgroup analyses in the text presented. Those details were not reported in the abstract and would require consulting the full article for a complete methodological and quantitative appraisal.