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Academic neonatologist—a species at the brink of extinction?

Journal of Perinatology volume 43, pages 1526–1529 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Neonatology is a field that is currently facing many challenges. These challenges include outdated work models in clinical environments with increasing acuity and patient workloads, physician burnout exacerbated by gender inequity and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and inappropriate metrics to measure clinical productivity. Academic neonatologists have additional missions that include research, teaching, and scholarly productivity in the setting of an increasing clinical workload and reduced time and support for teaching and research. Within the university-based practice setting, reimbursement, and salary structure result in relatively low compensation for neonatologist clinical productivity and time. These challenges threaten the sustainability of academic neonatology as a field. Working towards potential solutions such as creation of sustainable, transparent work models, and aligned funds flow within university-based settings is imperative.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Christine E. Bishop

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Kerri Z. Machut

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Christiane E. L. Dammann

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Milenka Cuevas Guaman

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, and Perinatal Institute, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Emily R. Miller

  6. Department of Pediatrics, UC Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Satyan Lakshminrusimha

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Contributions

CEB conceptualized and drafted the initial manuscript; SL, ERM, CELD, MCG, and KZM reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

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Correspondence to Christine E. Bishop.

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Bishop, C.E., Machut, K.Z., Dammann, C.E.L. et al. Academic neonatologist—a species at the brink of extinction?. J Perinatol 43, 1526–1529 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-023-01803-4

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