Pursuing a career in academia: Perceptions of pharmacists and student pharmacists

To gain an understanding of pharmacistsʼ and student pharmacistsʼ perceptions of careers in academia. Surveys were administered via e-mail to 13,451 licensed pharmacists in the state of North Carolina and to 304 third- and fourth-year professional students at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Overall, 25% of student pharmacists and 35% of pharmacists indicated that they were considering or had considered a position in academia. In addition, 67% of all respondents indicated being informed about pharmacy career opportunities by previous faculty members. Meaningful work, interfacing with students, and flexible hours were cited as being most important in considering academia, while politics, geographical location, and pay were cited as barriers. Perceptions of the academic environment may present a challenge to increasing interest in careers in pharmacy academia. Study results indicate that efforts, in addition to exposing students to careers in academia, are necessary to address barriers that impact perceptions of academia.