The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine

R. Thomas Collins II; Stephen Roth; Meenu Singh; Rania Sanford

R. Thomas Collins II ¹ ^* , Stephen Roth ², Meenu Singh ³, Rania Sanford ²

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AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 9, Issue 3, pp. 47-60

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Abstract

Academic medical centers are investing heavily in physician career development to foster career satisfaction and success. Though studies in numerous other professions have identified serendipity as a major contributor to success, its role in physician career success is unknown. We conducted 40 semi-structured, 50-minute interviews of physicians who had achieved the rank of full professor in our school of medicine. We used inductive content analysis to identify content categories, with serendipity emerging as one such category. In this study, we performed a secondary analysis to identify if and how participants discussed serendipity in relation to success in academic medicine. Following identification of subcategories related to serendipity, we conducted a secondary inductive content analysis revealing themes that were synthesized into a new theory of serendipity. Twenty-nine participants spontaneously described as serendipitous various circumstances important to their professional success and comprised the present study cohort. Four major themes emerged and revealed serendipitous events occurred when a participant was either 1) prepared for, 2) in right position for, and/or 3) promoted for an opportunity that they took the personal initiative to seize. These findings form a new theory of serendipity. Our group of academic physicians identified serendipity—the intersection of preparation and opportunity—as a significant contributor to career advancement. Our theory of serendipity suggests it is possible to “create your own luck.” These findings have important implications for physician career development.

Keywords: Physician, faculty development, career, luck

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Citation

Collins II, R. T., Roth, S., Singh, M., & Sanford, R. (2025). The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 9(3), 47-60.

Collins II, R. T., Roth, S., Singh, M., and Sanford, R. (2025). The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 9(3), pp. 47-60.

Collins II RT, Roth S, Singh M, Sanford R. The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2025;9(3), 47-60.

Collins II, R. Thomas, Stephen Roth, Meenu Singh, and Rania Sanford. "The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine". American Journal of Qualitative Research 2025 9 no. 3 (2025): 47-60.

Collins II, R. Thomas et al. "The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine". American Journal of Qualitative Research, vol. 9, no. 3, 2025, pp. 47-60.

Collins II RT, Roth S, Singh M, Sanford R. The Nature of Serendipity and Its Effect on Success in Academic Medicine. AM J QUALITATIVE RES. 2025;9(3):47-60.