Attention-seeking academic's plea to retire — it makes you sick (6)
I believe the answer is:
emetic
'it makes you sick' is the definition.
(an emetic medicine makes you sick)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for emetic that I've seen before include "Medicine used to cause vomiting" , "Medicine designed to induce vomiting" , "Vomit-inducing medication" , "A medicine to induce nausea" , "inducing sickness" .)