Passing the Scalpel: Lessons on retirement planning from retired academic surgeons

Almost half of practicing surgeons in the United States are currently older than 55, but guidelines on how to prepare for retirement are limited. We sought to identify possible facilitators for, and obstacles to, surgeons’ preparations for retirement. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with clinically inactive academic surgeons. Emergent themes were identified via a grounded theory approach. We interviewed 12 surgeons (83% male; median age 75 years). Major barriers to retirement from surgery included uncertainty about when to retire, limited identity outside of surgery, and perception of retirement as strictly individual/private. Facilitators of a successful retirement identified by the participants included early career financial planning, awareness of career trajectory, development of post-surgery goals, and utilization of collective knowledge. There are numerous barriers encountered by surgeons seeking to transition from clinical practice to retirement that could be overcome by dedicated departmental and institutional efforts. •Academic surgeons received little support when retiring from clinical practice.•Uncertainty about when to retire hindered adequate planning.•Perception of retirement may limit the utilization of external support.•Participants offered recommendations for a successful transition out of practice.