| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1027-1028 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | American Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 111 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 05 May 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:On December 3, 2019, I (E. P.) was defending my doctoral thesis in Barcelona, Spain, and everything was set up to continue with my research career in public health: I was supposed to start a postdoctoral position in the United States by May 2020. However, because of the pandemic, as well as travel and visa restrictions, I was not able to start it, so I was back in Italy living with my parents. I was fortunate, because after months of uncertainty, during which I was supported by my family and a short-term scholarship, I started my planned US postdoc in September 2020, working remotely. I also realized that my struggle was not exceptional. My PhD desk-mate (I. A.-P.) in the United States was dealing with the approaching end of her postdoctoral fellowship, which she managed to extend for several months. We shared our own concerns and struggles, and we reflected on the challenges that we, and our peers, were facing. Indeed, our on-going personal experience of such a tortuous and uncertain career transition during the pandemic is common to many early-career researchers,1 including those in public health–related disciplines.2 Many early-career researchers and trainees are currently struggling, as emerged from a recent Nature survey, in which 61% of respondents reported that their career prospects had been “negatively impacted” by the pandemic and another 25% said they “possibly” had been.3
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
