Mid-Career Transitions: A Discussion with Obesity and Eating Disorders Researchers

Rebecca Krukowski, PhD^✉; and Kathryn Ross, PhD, MPH^✉; Obesity and Eating Disorders SIG Co-Chairs

The Obesity and Eating Disorders Special Interest Group (OED SIG) recently interviewed Idia Thurston, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University; Brie Turner-McGrievy, Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina; Brad Appelhans, Associate Professor at Rush University Medical Center; and Xiaomeng (Mona) Xu, Associate Professor at Idaho State University, about their perspectives on the mid-career transition.
 

What do you do differently now that you are in a mid-career position?

Dr. Appelhans:  I am more selective. I decline commitments that don’t align with larger career goals or research interests.

Dr. Thurston:  I am thoughtful about the type of legacy and impact I want to create: what projects to pursue, whom to collaborate with, which ideas to follow, the students I choose to mentor, and my service activities. I am thinking about the next generation; I have been engaged in mentoring workshops and considering how to diversify our field given the incredibly diverse populations we come from and will continue to serve. 
 

What helped you transition into this position?

Dr. Turner-McGrievy:  Having really excellent mentors as role models has helped me know the value in mentorship and what makes a good mentor. The SBM Leadership Institute was also helpful as it let me network with other SBM members at the same career stage.

Dr. Thurston: Yoga, mindfulness practice, scheduling time to think – I noticed I was on automatic pilot to get to tenure and didn’t really have time to “stop and think” to allow my mind to explore possibilities and then act from the wisdom that surfaced.

Dr. Xu: I mediate daily, have a No Committee, and practice self-compassion. I read something recently: “You overwork yourself at the risk of legitimizing a culture of overwork”. Self-care is extremely important but we also need to address systemic issues that make work-life balance so difficult. We need to practice this balance and model it for others.
 

What was the biggest challenge that you experienced in this transition?

Dr. Turner-McGrievy: When to say no to collaboration opportunities because otherwise it’s easy to get overextended and lose focus.

Dr. Xu:  The existential angst that comes with the “now what?” of tenure. [I have been] trying to embrace the discomfort, using the transition as a time to enjoy and reevaluate. It’s been challenging but necessary to think deeply about my values and goals [and] to articulate to myself the rationale behind each decision (“Why am I choosing to spend my time on X? Is this a project/task consistent with my values and goals? If so, how do I make it more of a priority? If not, how can I modify it or drop it so I have more time to focus on what’s actually important?”)
 

Now that you have achieved external metrics of success (e.g., tenure, promotion, grant funding), how do you define your internal metrics for “success”?

Dr. Turner-McGrievy: The external metrics are never truly gone…especially for associate professors. We still are aiming to become full professors. I’m motivated to maintain my grant funding so I can continue to do the work I love. Another thing that really brings me joy is helping my doctoral students find fulfilling careers. 

Dr. Thurston: Being able to work at the pace I want to work at – a pace that “sparks joy”.
 

What keeps you motivated?

Dr. Appelhans: Nothing is more motivating to me than an interesting study. When I don’t know what direction to go in my own research, I read a few papers.

Dr. Turner-McGrievy: Wanting to find solutions to the big challenges in public health -- there are still so many research questions to answer!

Dr. Thurston: My family, being a mom, my faith, expressing gratitude whenever I can, and my deep rooted desire to do good work that takes us all one step closer toward health equity.

Dr. Xu: My students. They motivate me to do better. To strive to be a better teacher, mentor, scientist, and human. And they keep me hopeful about the future.