The finding is from a cross-sectional study by researchers from the São Paulo School of Nursing and the São Paulo School of Medicine at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), published in the Einstein journal in October.

According to the authors, the likelihood of a patient’s successful return-to-work (RTW) outcome varies over time: 

• 67.4% in the first year after a transplant, falling to
• 33.5% ten years later.

The chances of professional reintegration are higher among people with a history of employment prior to transplantation, people with higher socioeconomic status, and recipients of kidney transplants. 

The study evaluated 352 transplant recipients, with an average age of 42, registered with the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants (ABTx), which compiles national transplant data. The data was collected between July and August 2021, with a minimum requirement of six months since the procedure.

“These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted stigma-reduction strategies, such as public awareness campaigns and workplace accommodations, which can be adapted to diverse cultural and economic contexts,” the authors wrote.

Factors influencing the return to work

The study included individuals from all regions of Brazil, with most from the Southeast (64.1%). The majority were women (56.1%), White (56.5%), and married or in a stable relationship (58.2%).

Kidney transplants were the most common procedure type (62.2%), followed by liver (19.6%), heart (4.5%), bone marrow (4.3%), and other organs. In terms of socioeconomic status, 46.6% were in class C, 33.2% were in class B, 7.7% in class A, and 12.5% in classes D and E.

The analysis identified five factors strongly associated with returning to work: 

• Age
• Race
• Socioeconomic status
• Transplant type
• Previous occupational status 

People aged over 50 were 47% less likely to return to work than those aged 31 to 40. 

Black participants were 64% less likely to return than White participants. People from classes A and B were 2.5 and 2.4 times more likely respectively to resume professional activities than class C individuals, while those from classes D and E were 62% less likely.

Occupational background proved to be a determining factor: people who were unemployed before surgery were 45% less likely to return to work, and those who had never been in formal employment were 87% less likely to reenter the workforce.

“Consistent with the literature, these findings highlight the critical role of socioeconomic factors, including educational level and type of occupation, in determining RTW,” the authors wrote.

Perceived stigma and quality of life

The study also assessed the impact of stigma on quality of life and employment outcomes. The authors defined stigma as the devaluation of individuals based on illness, disability, or race with the potential to affect employment prospects. 

In practice, stigma can manifest as difficulties in securing a position after mentioning the transplant or fear of disclosing a health condition at work.

Stigma was measured using a five-item scale, asking participants if their condition makes them feel different to others, makes others feel uncomfortable around them, makes people avoid them, makes people afraid of them, or impacts their social relationships. Each item was rated on a seven-point scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” later rescaled to 0–100.

People who returned to work reported lower perceived stigma than those who remained unemployed, with an average difference of 9.8 points. 

Separated or widowed participants reported higher stigma levels than those who were married or in domestic partnerships, while individuals in classes D and E reported higher stigma than those in classes A and B.

Quality of life was measured using the SF-36 health survey, a validated tool used to assess functional capacity, physical limitations, pain, general health, vitality, social factors, emotional aspects, and mental health. In all areas, transplant recipients scored lower than the general Brazilian population.

The study also identified a statistically significant correlation between stigma and a poorer quality of life. A one-point increase in perceived stigma was associated with reductions in functional capacity (0.24), general health (0.20), vitality (0.25), social functionality (0.37), mental health (0.33), and physical limitations (0.40), as well as a higher perception of pain (0.23).

“The negative effects of stigma on quality of life and returning to work are consistent with those demonstrated by international studies, showing that stigma related to chronic illnesses reduces confidence, self-esteem, and social integration,” the researchers wrote.

Limitations and conclusions

The authors acknowledged some limitations: the cross-sectional design, based on observations taken at a single point in time without following participants over time, does not allow causality to be established; the concentration of participants in the Southeast of Brazil reduces generalizability; and the lack of data on comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases and mental illness, which could influence the outcomes. 

Even so, the results reinforce the need for public strategies focused on vocational rehabilitation, reducing stigma, and addressing structural inequalities that hinder full reintegration of transplant recipients into social and economic life.

“Overcoming these structural barriers is essential for optimizing long-term outcomes and ensuring that transplant recipients fully reintegrate into their occupational lives,” the authors wrote.

Public policies aimed at increasing workplace inclusion and tackling stigma could improve the situation, ensuring that the clinical success of transplantation also translates into social and economic quality of life.

O post Socioeconomic status and stigma affect reintegration into the labor market for transplant recipients apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

The event was attended by Jaqueline Ribas, a specialist in hiring researchers and founder of the consultancy Pesquisa de Impacto (“impactful research”), who discussed strategies and the challenges faced by master’s and PhD holders wishing to transition from academia to the job market.

Ribas shared her experiences and offered practical guidelines on how researchers can make the most of their skills, adapt their résumés, and more effectively communicate their potential to companies, without renouncing the scientific identity they have developed over the years.

With a linguistics degree from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) and a master’s in digital product management from Nuclio Digital School in Spain, Jaqueline Ribas founded Pesquisa de Impacto in 2021 with the aim of helping research professionals change career paths by leveraging their skills outside of the academic environment. 

Watch the full video below: 

Some of the key topics addressed at the event:

1. Responsible use of academic experience in the labor market

The discussion addressed how academic experience should be viewed as a professional experience. Ribas highlighted the importance of changing your mindset and not seeing yourself merely as a student. 

The specialist emphasized that switching from academia to the private sector is a change of environment and not necessarily a complete career change. There are many similarities between academic research processes, such as scientific writing and project submission, and corporate research and development (R&D). 

2. Valued skills

Many skills developed in academia are highly valued in the job market. Ribas cited several examples, distinguishing them as interpersonal and practical skills:

• Interpersonal (soft) skills: resilience, adaptability, flexibility, communication, teaching, and a willingness to solve problems.
  
• Practical (hard) skills: project management (planning, scheduling, deliverables), people leadership (guiding, leading, and supervising, rather than just advising students), team training, technical and scientific writing, bibliographic review, submission of proposals to ethics committees, and proficiency with data analysis tools (statistics, Python, R, bioinformatics).

3. Strategies for the transition

Researchers need to adopt specific strategies to communicate their value to the market, not least because modern selection processes rely heavily on automated résumé screening systems. 

A. Attitude and language: adopt the stance of a “professional researcher,” rather than that of a student. Make sure you know how to use business vocabulary and replace academic expressions with corporate equivalents. For example, say “scientific research/R&D” instead of “academic research” and “leading/supervising professionals” instead of “advising students.”

B. LinkedIn and Lattes: LinkedIn, a social network focused on business and professionals, is the main tool for job hunting. It must therefore be recognized that Lattes (a Brazilian website for students and researchers to share their academic résumés) is designed for academic communication, while LinkedIn is designed to communicate with corporations, including industries.

C. Job hunt: search for openings using broader terms (e.g., genetics) rather than sub-fields or highly specific scientific wording (e.g., germ cell genetics). When looking for a job, quality is more important than quantity: limit yourself to a maximum of five applications per week and tailor your résumé to each of them, so that the skills described in your résumé correspond to the requirements of the position.

D. Interviews: always prepare for job interviews in advance. It’s crucial to be ready for the classic prompt to “tell us more about yourself” (use concise, direct, and compelling presentation techniques, like an elevator pitch). When answering questions and presenting your skills, you can use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

E. Networking: establishing and maintaining a network of contacts is valuable for opening doors and obtaining information about a given field. However, networking alone will not guarantee you a job; you still need to be convincing during interviews. The best approach to networking is to ask others about their careers and avoid asking for a job directly, always maintaining a positive attitude and highlighting your own experience.

O post Career change: “Scientific education needs to be seen as a professional asset”  apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), even under the most conservative projections, the global shortfall of health professionals could reach at least 10 million by 2030. In more severe scenarios, that shortage could rise to 78 million. The US alone is expected to create 1.9 million new jobs by the end of the decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The trend includes not only doctors and nurses, but also professions such as nutritionists, physiotherapists, dentists, speech therapists, pharmacists, veterinarians, and specialists in genetic counseling and occupational health.

Above-average salaries and rising demand

According to the BLS, in May 2024, the average annual salary for medical and technical occupations in the US reached US$83,090, 67% above the national average for all professions, estimated at US$49,500.

Population aging and an increase in chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, explain much of this demand.

A RAND study found that 60% of the US population lives with a chronic disease. Approximately 90% of annual health expenditure is attributed to the treatment of chronic diseases and mental disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mental health is another area requiring increasing attention. According to the WHO, mental health disorders have increased by 13% in the last decade.

In Brazil, workplace absences due to burnout rose nearly 1,000% between 2014 and 2023, according to the National Institute of Social Security (INSS).

Meanwhile, the McKinsey Health Institute highlights the unmet demand in the world’s poorest regions, which account for 60% of the global population and still face limited access to essential care.

Latin America: professionals in short supply

In Latin America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) estimates that the target of reaching 4.5 health professionals per 1,000 inhabitants by 2030 will be missed by 600,000. To provide coverage to 80% of the population, approximately two million professionals will be needed in nursing, obstetrics, dentistry, and pharmacy.

With 546,000 working physicians, Brazil has an average of 2.6 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants—more than double the number from 20 years ago, largely due to the proliferation of medical schools. The number is similar to countries such as the US (2.6), Canada (2.7), and Japan (2.5), but severe inequalities persist.

If the current trend continues, Brazil will have 3.6 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants in 2028, one of the highest rates in the world. However, professionals remain unevenly distributed: 62% are in large urban centers (with over 500,000 inhabitants), home to just 32% of the population. Of all physicians, 54% are based in the state capitals, where only 24% of Brazilians live.

Although Brazil is not yet facing a shortage of nurses, the quality of training is a concern. According to the WHO, there is a shortage of six million nurses worldwide, and the situation is getting worse.

In Brazil, if training deficiencies persist, the sector risks losing more professionals in the coming years.

O post Healthcare careers resist economic crises and unemployment driven by automation  apareceu primeiro em Science Arena.