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Today’s episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast explores strategies for embracing a new career challenge or retirement itself. This broadcast features a recording from a recent lecture led by Faculty Factory Podcast host Kimberly Skarupski, PhD, MPH.
Dr. Skarupski is Associate Vice Provost, Leadership Development, in the Office of Faculty Affairs with UTMB Health in Galveston, Texas. She is a tenured Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics in the John Sealy School of Medicine and in the Department of Epidemiology in the School of Public and Population Health.
If you’d like to see the slides from the lecture that this podcast is based on, you can access them here.
Optimizing for Change
Professional identity often dominates our self-perception, yet we are much more than our roles at our institutions. We need to challenge the assumption that “our most current version of ourselves is also the final version of ourselves.”
With that perspective at the forefront, you can make better decisions about embracing change and recognizing when a career recalibration is needed.
“People, it seems, regard the present as a watershed moment—believing they have finally become the person they will be for the rest of their lives. It’s a fascinating psychological concept, and we tend to forget that, 25 or 10 years from now, we could be another new person. What future self do you envision? What does the future you look like?” Dr. Skarupski said.
In 2025, aging does not mean slowing down when it comes to academic medicine. Faculty remain highly active, productive, and wiser than ever.
The key is to align your life with your core values and avoid the outdated narratives and clichés around complacency, aging, and retirement from full-time faculty roles. It all begins with reflecting on what truly brings you joy and purpose.