Navigating the Post-Career Phase of Faculty Life with Oscar W. “Skip” Brown, MD

Despite all the opportunities it opens, retirement can be a hard road if you fail to engage in proper planning, as we explore in this week’s episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast with returning guest Skip Brown, MD.

As a clinical professor of pediatrics at UTMB in Galveston, Texas, Dr. Brown is a past vice chair for clinical affairs and a former chief medical officer at UTMB. A past president of the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS), he is a recipient of the TPS Charles W. Daeschner, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the health and welfare of Texas children.

You can check out his first episode with us, “The Definitive Guide to a Fulfilling Retirement Journey,” here: https://facultyfactory.podbean.com/e/the-definitive-guide-to-a-fulfilling-retirement-journey-with-ow-skip-brown-md/

When you retire and reflect on how you want to spend your time, be mindful of the 90/10 rule: 90 percent of the work gets done by 10 percent of the people.

“You can become much busier than you might want to be if you donate your time and skills,” he said.

Dr. Brown’s advice: guard your freedom, stay selective about your time, and resist the pull to take on everything just because you're capable. Equally important is learning to dial back perfectionism.

Perhaps the most powerful theme of the conversation was identity. He reflected on colleagues who stayed in their roles not because they wanted to, but because they had no idea who they were outside of their work.

The antidote isn't a rigid plan, but genuine reflection. As Dr. Brown put it simply: you're about to work for the most insightful boss you’ve ever had — yourself. It's worth getting to know them.