CONTROLLING the exit from work and accumulating multiple resources early predict adjustment to retirement for doctors.
According to the authors of a Perspective published by the MJA, the final transition in a medical career is one that the profession has largely ignored.
This risks “unplanned departures that affect succession planning for practices, continuity of care for patients, and the wellbeing of the practitioner”, wrote the authors, Adjunct Associate Professor Chanaka Wijeratne, a Senior Staff Specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital and the University of Notre Dame Australia, and Associate Professor Joanne Earl from the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University.
“The eventual introduction of proposed mandatory health checks for practitioners aged 70 years and over in Australia may hasten the retirement of some, which only increases the urgency of retirement planning becoming a routine task for all practitioners.”
Retirement, rather than being a “lone event” comprised three phases, the authors wrote:
More than one-third of older practitioners failed to even reach the pre-retirement phase, as they reported no intention of retiring or were unsure about doing so, according to research cited by the authors. Retirement planning may be difficult for doctors for several reasons:
Also online at the MJA
Perspective: Changes in medical scientific publication associated with the COVID-19 pandemic Reade et al; doi: 10.5694/mja2.50855 … OPEN ACCESS permanently
Research: Suicide by young Australians, 2006–2015: a cross-sectional analysis of national coronial data Hill et al; doi: 10.5694/mja2.50876 … OPEN ACCESS permanently
According to the authors of a Perspective published by the MJA, the final transition in a medical career is one that the profession has largely ignored.
This risks “unplanned departures that affect succession planning for practices, continuity of care for patients, and the wellbeing of the practitioner”, wrote the authors, Adjunct Associate Professor Chanaka Wijeratne, a Senior Staff Specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital and the University of Notre Dame Australia, and Associate Professor Joanne Earl from the Department of Psychology at Macquarie University.
“The eventual introduction of proposed mandatory health checks for practitioners aged 70 years and over in Australia may hasten the retirement of some, which only increases the urgency of retirement planning becoming a routine task for all practitioners.”
Retirement, rather than being a “lone event” comprised three phases, the authors wrote:
- the “pre-retirement” phase, during which the practitioner continues to work but may anticipate and prepare for retirement;
- the “transition” phase, during which decisions are made about how and when the practitioner should approach stopping work; and
- the “adaptation” phase which may involve some paid work but the practitioner is principally retired.
More than one-third of older practitioners failed to even reach the pre-retirement phase, as they reported no intention of retiring or were unsure about doing so, according to research cited by the authors. Retirement planning may be difficult for doctors for several reasons:
- even considering leaving work may be viewed as a sign of personal weakness;
- financial factors related to inadequate superannuation funds, continuing debt, or other commitments;
- a feeling of responsibility for patients;
- a lack of interests outside of medicine; and
- a fear of potential changes in their relationship with a spouse.
- a structured transition to retirement plan – all practitioners formally write an initial transition to retirement plan by the age of 55 at the latest, review it regularly, and the intervals between reviews should become more frequent with time;
- resource accumulation – financial, physical health, social engagement and emotional resources; incorporating a professional advance care plan that outlines a set of premorbid views about ongoing practice in the event that capacity to practise is impaired;
- developing an encore career – allows the use of skills and experience developed over a career and helps maintain meaning and engagement; examples include governance roles with accrediting bodies, sitting on guardianship or mental health review tribunals, taking up committee membership, providing leadership through directorships or management roles in hospitals or medical services, and teaching or research pursuits, such as teaching medical students, mentoring trainees, or writing research grants and articles.
Also online at the MJA
Perspective: Changes in medical scientific publication associated with the COVID-19 pandemic Reade et al; doi: 10.5694/mja2.50855 … OPEN ACCESS permanently
Research: Suicide by young Australians, 2006–2015: a cross-sectional analysis of national coronial data Hill et al; doi: 10.5694/mja2.50876 … OPEN ACCESS permanently
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