(369) Postdoc Pressures: Identifying Factors that Influence Burnout and Wellbeing in Postdoctoral Fellows at Pharmacy Programs

Objective : Wellbeing and resilience are important for one’s mental and physical health, job performance, and job satisfaction. A critical gap exists in the literature concerning factors that influence postdoctoral fellow wellbeing. This study aims to identify factors influencing wellbeing and burnout among postdoctoral fellows in pharmacy and explore recommendations to improve wellbeing.

Methods: Postdoctoral fellows employed at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy were eligible to participate in a 60-minute focus group. Participants were stratified by industry-sponsored or academic positions to explore experiences that may be unique to those groups. A semi-structured focus group script was used to facilitate discussion on factors that influence wellbeing and burnout and solicit participant recommendations on strategies to promote wellbeing. Inductive coding of Zoom transcripts was used to analyze participant responses. All codes were reviewed and discrepancies discussed until consensus was reached.

Results: Seven postdoctoral fellows participated in three focus group sessions: two industry-sponsored fellows in one group and five academic fellows in two groups. Participants identified lack of relational support, lack of resources, and lack of belonging or inclusion as factors contributing to their burnout. Factors contributing to their wellbeing included reasonable supervisor expectations, personal and professional support, and feeling valued/respected. Participant recommendations to improve wellbeing included supervisor and non-supervisor support, institutional initiatives and resources, and workload strategies. Subgroup analyses between industry-sponsored and academic postdoctoral fellows experiences will be conducted.

Conclusions: This study is one of the first to explore factors that contribute to postdoctoral fellow wellbeing and burnout, as well as solicit recommendations to support their wellbeing. Findings from this research will inform the School’s wellbeing initiatives and provide a foundation for additional research across the Academy.