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One reason for burn out in academic medicine is the time we spend doing things for “for-profit” companies that take advantage of academic leaders. 1/17
After decades as author, reviewer and editor for journals that I found extremely satisfying, Inow am a bit perturbed at the business model that takes advantage of me and my colleagues. 2/17
In the last 9 months, I have received daily invitations to review articles for scientific publications. Periodically from journals I had agreed to help, but mostly from journals I did not. Some are journals I have heard of, some not. 3/17
Think about it. If you are publisher, it is brilliant. Not so much so if you are the free labor clinician researcher. 4/17
Academic researchers may do years of research without publishers/journal investing any time or money in that process. 5/17
Researchers write papers without being paid by publishers/journal. 6/17
Researchers submit papers (and sometime even have to pay for that privilege). 7/17
“Peer reviewers” volunteer time to review papers and provide feedback to (mostly) volunteer decision editors who decide to publish or not. 8/17
“Peer reviews” have some internal and some external pressure to criticize (hopefully constructive) the science and to ask for more work be done before the manuscript can be reconsidered. 9/17
Authors now have more work to do so that they can publish the work they did, without the publishers/journal investing in the work. 10/17
One or more rounds of revisions and reviews are done.
Authors are thrilled to get their paper accepted. 11/17
Authors are thrilled to get their paper accepted. 11/17
After months of time in the review process, one random day (somehow often when on vacation), authors will get an email telling them to review the proof within 48 hours and make edits. 12/17
Authors will be offered the opportunity to buy copies (“reprints”) of their own work from the journal. 13/17
Eventually, the article will be published. You will get a great adrenaline rush. Mom and Dad will be proud. Your colleagues will be excited for you. You will forget we have COVID for 10 minutes. 14/17
Journals will make a lot of money from your health systems library subscribing to the journal and from advertising within the journal that you actually did the work for. None of that gets shared with you or your institution. 15/17
You will be more burned out because you will do it again for that momentary adrenaline rush. You will also “be offered” and likely accept, the opportunity to be a “peer reviewer” for that journal so that they can further prosper off your free labor. 16/17
Remember that every time you choose to do voluntary work for someone else, you are taking that time away from your spouse, children and friends. Ask yourself if it is worth it. I am not saying don’t do it, just know what you are doing.
#changethemodelofacademicmedicine 17/17
#changethemodelofacademicmedicine 17/17
