Career Status, Progression and Aspirations of Dental Academics in Australia

Abstract

Introduction: Attracting and retaining oral health professionals in an academic career is a challenge, globally and in Australia. Methods: This study surveyed the current status, progression and aspirations of dental academics across 13 training institutions in Australia. The survey asked about their current appointment, time in academia, promotion plans, leadership roles and aspirations as well as facilitators and barriers to these aspirations. Results: Of the 472 invited to participate, 120 responded with fairly complete data, a response rate of 25%. There was a good representation across genders, age groups and appointment types. Reasons for taking up a leadership role related to making a difference and wanting to utilise skills and talents. Barrier-like situations were not common but differed by gender, with female academics more often (29%) reporting a lack of support and mentorship, compared to 6% of male academics. This and meeting research (publications, grants) criteria for progress/promotion and attaining leadership roles were identified as concerns by the respondents. Heavy teaching loads and increasing administrative responsibilities were also identified as barriers, impacting research productivity. Conclusions: To ensure current academic staff are retained, implementing a support and mentorship program beyond the annual appraisal requirement is critical, in particular for female academics who most often report feeling unsupported and lacking mentorship.