Introduction: Academic Health Systems (AHSs) face ongoing workforce shortages, and integrating physicians from private practice has emerged as a viable solution. These individuals bring a wealth of clinical experience and practice management insight that can enrich patient care, education, and research. However, few structured processes exist to facilitate this transition, and no comprehensive curriculum has been established to support onboarding and retention. A clear gap remains in the literature and in practice regarding faculty development tailored to this unique population. This project identifies the struggles and strengths of private practice physicians entering academia and presents a novel onboarding and faculty development curriculum to support a seamless, sustainable transition into AHSs. Methods: We employed a mixed-methods approach that included an integrative literature review and a qualitative survey distributed at two geographically distinct AHSs. The literature review sought to identify evidence-based strategies for adult learning, physician onboarding, faculty development, mentorship, and academic transitions. Sources were screened based on relevance to mid- or late-career physicians, particularly those without prior academic affiliation. Key themes extracted from the literature included mentorship models, time management strategies, institutional navigation, and cultural assimilation into academia. Simultaneously, we developed a 16-question open-ended survey to assess the lived experiences of physicians transitioning from private practice to academia. The survey was distributed to 45 participants (20 from private practice, 25 academic physicians) and designed to elicit responses around common barriers and facilitators. Questions focused on perceptions of teaching, expectations of academic roles, barriers to productivity, and unmet institutional support needs. Survey data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Themes from both the literature and the qualitative survey informed the development of two complementary curricula: one targeted to academic leadership and faculty, and the other directed at private physicians entering academia. Results: Survey findings revealed several high-frequency challenges reported by private practice physicians. The most prevalent concerns were time management difficulties, unclear institutional expectations, diminished clinical efficiency due to teaching obligations, unfamiliarity with academic promotion criteria, and lack of mentorship. These respondents consistently emphasized the need for practical guidance, structured support, and clarity around faculty roles and expectations. Based on the results, two constructs were devised. The first was an Onboarding Curriculum for Private Physicians and another Faculty Development Curriculum for Academic Mentors targets existing faculty and leaders. The dual-construct ensures that both parties in the integration process are supported, with content aligned to their respective roles and responsibilities. The curricula also incorporate assessment tools and feedback loops to allow for adaptation over time. Conclusion: This project presents a comprehensive framework to integrate private practice physicians into academic settings, addressing both logistical barriers (such as compensation, time, onboarding systems) and cultural challenges (such as role clarity, mentorship, academic identity). By supporting both private physicians and academic mentors through parallel curricula, this model fosters mutual understanding, collaboration, and long-term engagement. The framework is positioned to enhance faculty satisfaction, reduce burnout during the transition period, and strengthen institutional missions by unlocking the contributions of this underutilized workforce. Its implementation may further serve to diversify academic pathways and promote a more inclusive definition of scholarly contribution. Although this work synthesizes best practices with firsthand perspectives, its primary limitation is that the curriculum has not yet been piloted. Future research should focus on deploying this framework across multiple institutions and measuring its impact on faculty retention, academic productivity, and learner outcomes. Institutional investment in structured onboarding and faculty development for private physicians is not only timely—it is essential to sustaining and growing the academic healthcare workforce.
Belanger et al. (Sun,) studied this question.