Zegen, vloek of grijs gebied? Het dynamisch effect van de COVID-19 pandemie op wetenschappelijke loopbanen in de academische medische sector

This study investigates the career consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among both clinical and non-clinical academics in a University Medical Center (UMC), utilizing the literature on career shocks and the Job Demands-Resources theory. The study is based on a survey conducted in May 2021 among early- and mid-career academics working within a university medical center (n = 250), as well as insights from in-depth interviews with mid-career academics (n = 38) between September 2021 and February 2022. The results illustrate that COVID-19 functioned as a career shock for the majority of academics in the medical context as it forced them to reflect on their career investments. The data illustrate the underlying interplay of resources and demands that determines career consequences and how this subsequently leads to a heterogeneity of career experiences. Another finding of the study is that the categorization of job characteristics as either resources or demands can vary in a changing work environment. Partly due to this shift, the career consequences of COVID-19 have fluctuated over time. The practical implications of this chapter highlight the importance of taking a long-term perspective on the career consequences of career shocks, as well as the importance of a tailored approach.