INTRODUCTION The formative years in academia are difficult for early career academics as they transition into their new roles in teaching and research. Ubiquitous changes in health sciences education have compounded this transition for early career anatomists (ECA), who must balance curriculum transformations, research imperatives and administrative responsibilities as they navigate their transition. Support for ECAs is thus important in order to provide a strong pipeline of anatomists for the future of the discipline and its foundational role in the health sciences. Thus, this study investigated the needs of international ECAs with respect to teaching, research and career/professional development in the anatomical sciences. METHOD The authors distributed an online survey in 2018 to ECAs of member associations of the International Federation of Association of Anatomists (IFAA). The survey contained both closed and open-ended response questions. Data gathered included ECAs level of academic appointment, training for teaching and nature of support that ECAs may find valuable for their development as anatomists. Frequencies and 95% confidence intervals were calculated and answers to open-response questions were analysed qualitatively. RESULTS Over 590 respondents from across the globe answered the survey. Requests for training in the clinical relevance and application of anatomical sub-disciplines were frequent. Importantly, support to establish collaborations, mentorship relationships and professional networks were repeatedly requested. CONCLUSION In this first ever international survey of ECAs, the needs expressed by respondents indicate the importance of academic and professional development support at both local and global levels. Partnerships between the IFAA, institutions, anatomical and educational associations should create training and mentoring opportunities to smooth the transition into academia for these young academics, which would ensure the future of the discipline and its role in the health sciences.

中文翻译：

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支持早期职业解剖学家：一项国际挑战。

简介对于早期职业学者来说，学术界的成长期非常困难，因为他们要过渡到教学和研究的新角色。卫生科学教育的无处不在的变化使早期职业解剖学家（ECA）的过渡更加复杂，他们在过渡过程中必须兼顾课程改革，研究要务和行政责任。因此，对ECA的支持很重要，以便为该学科的未来及其在健康科学中的基础作用提供强大的解剖学家渠道。因此，本研究调查了国际ECA在解剖学方面的教学，研究以及职业/专业发展方面的需求。方法作者于2018年向国际解剖学家协会联合会（IFAA）的成员协会ECA分发了一项在线调查。该调查包含封闭式和开放式回答问题。收集的数据包括ECA的学术任命水平，教学培训和ECA可能对他们作为解剖学家的发展有价值的支持性质。计算频率和95％置信区间，并定性分析开放式问题的答案。结果来自全球的590多名受访者回答了该调查。经常要求就解剖学的临床相关性和应用进行培训。重要的是，一再要求建立合作，指导关系和专业网络的支持。结论在对ECA的首次国际调查中，受访者的需求表明了在本地和全球范围内提供学术和专业发展支持的重要性。IFAA，机构，解剖学和教育协会之间的合作伙伴关系应为这些年轻学者创造培训和指导机会，以顺利过渡到学术界，这将确保该学科的未来及其在健康科学中的作用。