Table 1. Challenges and core skills in academic surgery.

Potential perceived deterrents or threats to academic career	Core skills to develop in response
1. Lack of time	1. Time management and organization
2. Lack of funding	2. Grant writing and budgeting
3. Lack of experience or infrastructure for interacting with larger society	3. Presentation, communication, negotiation, and networking
4. Lack of well-defined career trajectories, mentorship, and leadership	4. Mentoring and leadership skills
5. Lack of sustained set of personal motivations or convictions	5. Self-conviction and self-motivation skills