Publish or Perish

Abstract

In Reply.—

Dr Sahler's letter to Pediatrics summarizes the dilemma that academic medicine and editors of journals face. It is truly a "chicken and egg" problem, but there is little hope for resolving it in the near future. Academic faculties are very conservative when it comes to changing the "rules" for anything, as evidenced by the slowness with which curricular reform is occurring in this country. Although many have commented on the need to modernize the policies and procedures for the award of tenure, and for academic promotion, the focus for change remains in our faculties and in their promotion and tenure committees, at both the departmental and school or University levels.