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This week on the Faculty Factory Podcast, David Niesel, PhD, tackles one of the most underexplored questions in academic medicine: do you actually know how to be happy outside of your career? It’s a provocative starting point, but one that gets at something real in a broader discussion on being strategic when approaching retirement and transitions for leaders in academic health.
“Not everybody is ready for retirement at the same time,” Dr. Niesel said, “and that question of readiness sits at the heart of this conversation.”
Over the course of his career, Dr. Niesel rose through the ranks of academic leadership, serving as Vice Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Department Chairman, Dean, and ultimately as the Chief Research Officer at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
He retired from full-time employment in 2021 and continues as an adjunct professor.
He also co-hosts Medical Discovery News, a weekly radio show that recently surpassed 1,000 episodes and publishes a 500-word column each week. You can find out more and tune in.
Dr. Niesel makes the case that skills you’ve built over decades don’t disappear when you step away from the institution. They remain in demand, and that’s exactly why intentionality matters. You can’t afford to live this next stage by default.