Challenges facing academic medicine: the Deans’ view

Abstract

Steven Abman (SA): As the COVID pandemic led to cancellation of our Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) meeting last spring, we lost the opportunity to present cutting-edge science along with many seminars and symposia related to important issues regarding child health. These include critical themes, which range from career development; issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion; navigating career choices; mentorship and mentee responsibilities; and many others. To address these challenges, the American Pediatrics Society (APS) and Society of Pediatric Research (SPR) have jointly created a ten-part series of monthly “virtual chats,” in which we tackle high priority issues and challenges facing academic medicine. Our structure for these “chats” differs from many traditional seminars, as we provide an informality to these presentations by leading experts on a given topic, followed by a question and answer session from other participants. We are very excited about today’s “chat,” which is entitled “Challenges facing academic medicine in the modern era: the Dean’s view” and are especially grateful to have three outstanding academic pediatricians who, in addition to having achieved mightily throughout their academic careers, are or have been medical school deans. I have the privilege to introduce our three speakers. The first discussant is Dr. Wesley Burks (WB), the Stuart Bondurant Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, CEO of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Health, Dean of UNC School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at UNC. Dr. Burks has had extensive leadership roles throughout his career, including Section Chief of Allergy and Immunology at Duke University and Chair of Pediatrics at UNC-Chapel Hill, in addition to a very successful research career. We are especially delighted to have Dr. Barbara Stoll (BS) as one of our presenters today. Dr. Stoll has had an amazing career as an outstanding academic leader throughout her career. She served as Chair of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine before being recruited as the Hightower Distinguished Professor in Medical Sciences, Dean and Professor of Pediatrics at the McGovern Medical School at UT Health in Houston. Dr. Stoll has just stepped down as Dean and will be returning to the global health arena. We welcome her to today’s seminar. Finally, we are also honored to have Dr. Tom Boat (TB) join us. As you may know, Stephanie Davis, President of the SPR and Chair of Pediatrics at UNC, and I are both pediatric pulmonologists and have been both deeply influenced by Dr. Boat’s extraordinary role as a major founder of the field of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine and was a role model for so many of us in the field. In addition to his highly successful academic career as an investigator, teacher and clinician, Dr. Boat has been an outstanding and highly regarded leader at the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in many different roles. Importantly, Dr. Boat is a former Dean and Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, as well as past President of the SPR, American Board of Pediatrics and other academic societies. Another member of our all-star cast is Dr. Stephanie Davis, President of the SPR and Chair of Pediatrics at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Davis will be moderating today’s session. Stephanie Davis (SD): We are excited to have this wonderful and wise panel discussing our current challenges in academic medicine. We are going to ask each of them to highlight their personal story and then we will follow that with questions from the audience. We will start with Dr. Burks. WB: Thank you, Stephanie. I’m originally from Arkansas where I attended medical school and then completed my pediatric residency at Arkansas Children’s. We then moved to North Carolina to do my allergy and immunology fellowship at Duke, after which my wife, young son and I moved back to Little Rock. I joined the faculty at Arkansas Children’s and for almost 20 years, I worked my way through the administrative academic ranks, but really spent most of my time primarily doing research with some administrative duties later in my career. We really weren’t anticipating leaving Arkansas, as it was where our extended families were living. However, the Division Chief Position became available at Duke after Dr. Buckley decided to step down, and having trained there and for reasons that are hard to articulate even now almost 20 years later, we decided to move for that opportunity. I really liked that position and the institution, but in the last couple of years in that role and for whatever reasons, I just felt like I would like to serve and lead a pediatric department as chair. I felt fortunate to be offered the position and 3 years into the Chair role at UNC, the Executive Dean at the UNC School of Medicine left to take a position in Michigan, and after talking with several people, the Dean offered me the role as the Executive Dean, a role that I really liked. This executive dean role opened my opportunity to the position I have now. About 18 months ago, I became the Dean and the CEO of the UNC Healthcare System, which I really enjoy. The variety of opportunities, working with donors, faculty, hospital personnel, operational strategic planning, and many others—each of whom are interesting in their own way —allowed me to have input and an opportunity to think and influence our strategic directions. I definitely didn’t plan on this