The Fika Crew welcomes Zubin Austin, Ph.D. (University of Toronto), who recently completed his sabbatical, and Hayley Blackburn, Pharm.D. (University of Montana), who is right in the middle of hers, to explore the why, when, and how of academic sabbaticals. Co-host Kristin adds her own experience to the mix. Here's one takeaway: plan your sabbatical activities — then trim that list by 25%.

🌏 ✈️ Australia, Ireland, the UK, France, Oaxaca, Greenland — yes, Greenland! — all make appearances. Sadly, not Fiji.

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 3:46

Sabbatical Discussion: 3:47

Resources

Sibbald T and Handford V, eds. The Academic Sabbatical: A Voyage of Discovery. University of Ottawa Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780776633190

Page M. Who took the Sabbath out of sabbatical? Academe Magazine, American Association of University Professors. Accessed February 20, 2026.

Burkeman O. Four thousand weeks: Time Management for Mortals. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2021.

Berg M and Seeber BK. The Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy, Tenth Anniversary Edition. University of Toronto Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781487559489

Gardner SK. Faculty learning and professional growth in the sabbatical leave. Innov High Educ. 2022;47(3):435-451.

Yarmohammadian MH, Davidson P, Yeh CH. Sabbatical as a part of the academic excellence journey: a narrative qualitative study. J Educ Health Promot. 2018;7:119.

Blackard JT. Tips for a successful global health sabbatical. Ann Glob Health. 2019;85(1):7.

Philbrick AM, Pittenger AL. Practice faculty also need sabbatical leaves. Am J Pharm Educ. 2024;88(10):101274.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Stuart T. Haines (Executive Producer), University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy – sthaines@olemiss.edu
Tina Brock, University of Melbourne Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences - tina.brock@unimelb.edu.au
Jeff Cain, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy - jeff.cain@uky.edu
Kristin Janke, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy - janke006@umn.edu

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about? Watch this brief video: How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic? Drop us a line (pharmacyfika@gmail.com) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

Sabbatical Stories: Reclaiming Space for Reflection, Learning, and New Directions