The player is loading ...
Sept. 16, 2024
Life hacks for the physician scientist
Welcome to The Clinician Researcher Podcast! In this episode, we're diving into seven life hacks that will help physician scientists grow their careers. Whether you're just starting or looking to accelerate your progress, these tips are for you.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:
- Leverage Your Mentorship Networks You already have mentors, but are you truly leveraging them? It's not about relying on one person but recognizing that you have a whole network of mentors.
- Focus on a Niche Narrowing your focus will take you further. By becoming an expert in a specific area, you can build upon each success.
- Prioritize Grant Writing Early Get started on grant writing as early as possible to secure funding that can protect your time for research. Start with small grants and gradually build up to larger ones.
- Collaborate Across Disciplines Seek out collaborators with complementary expertise. Working with experts outside your discipline will multiply your impact.
- Leverage Technology to Streamline Research Use technology effectively. Stay current with technological advancements can save you time and effort.
- Optimize Your Research Time Find and maximize every small time window. Make sure you're using your time strategically to advance your research goals.
- Use strategic self-promotion. Don't wait for someone to promote you. You promote yourself. If no one invites you, invite yourself.
Sponsor/Advertising/Monetization Information:
This episode is sponsored by Coag Coach LLC, a leading provider of coaching resources for clinicians transitioning to become research leaders. Coag Coach LLC is committed to supporting clinicians in their scholarship.
Looking for a coach?
Sign up for a coaching discovery call today: https://www.coagcoach.com/service-page/consultation-call-1
Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,860
Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast, where academic clinicians learn the skills
2
00:00:05,860 --> 00:00:11,260
to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.
3
00:00:11,260 --> 00:00:17,340
As clinicians, we spend a decade or more as trainees learning to take care of patients.
4
00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:22,380
When we finally start our careers, we want to build research programs, but then we find
5
00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:27,780
that our years of clinical training did not adequately prepare us to lead our research
6
00:00:27,780 --> 00:00:29,180
program.
7
00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:35,480
Through no fault of our own, we struggle to find mentors, and when we can't, we quit.
8
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:40,580
However, clinicians hold the keys to the greatest research breakthroughs.
9
00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:46,200
For this reason, the Clinician Researcher podcast exists to give academic clinicians
10
00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,800
the tools to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.
11
00:00:51,800 --> 00:01:01,100
Now introducing your host, Toyosi Onwuemene.
12
00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:03,060
Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast.
13
00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:07,180
I'm your host, Toyosi Onwuemene, and it is an absolute pleasure to be talking with you
14
00:01:07,180 --> 00:01:08,180
today.
15
00:01:08,180 --> 00:01:09,900
Thank you so much for tuning in.
16
00:01:09,900 --> 00:01:15,700
Today, I am talking about seven life hacks for physician scientists to grow their careers.
17
00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:20,580
Yes, seven life hacks for physician scientists to grow their careers.
18
00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:24,960
And I'm excited to bring you this episode because, wow, we all need life hacks.
19
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:26,780
We absolutely do.
20
00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:31,300
One of the things I realized recently is I read a book and it was such a great book.
21
00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:35,060
And I remember thinking, hmm, I have this mentor.
22
00:01:35,060 --> 00:01:37,700
He doesn't even know he's my mentor.
23
00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:40,100
He's my mentor from a distance.
24
00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:41,900
And I listened to his talks.
25
00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:43,260
He's given so many talks.
26
00:01:43,260 --> 00:01:46,520
And so I literally binge this person.
27
00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,780
And one of the things that he does that's so awesome is that he will just say, you should
28
00:01:50,780 --> 00:01:52,220
read this book.
29
00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:56,100
And he reads a lot of books, but he doesn't recommend all the books.
30
00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:59,180
And so when he says, you should read this book, I've been just going out and getting
31
00:01:59,180 --> 00:02:00,940
the books and reading them.
32
00:02:00,940 --> 00:02:05,100
And what I realized is that his advice is so high quality.
33
00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:06,940
Oh my goodness.
34
00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:08,180
And here's the thing.
35
00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:12,980
In general, right now, I'm in a busy phase in my life where I mostly listen to audiobooks.
36
00:02:12,980 --> 00:02:16,260
And so some of these older books are not available as audiobooks.
37
00:02:16,260 --> 00:02:21,020
And so it takes a lot of time, or at least investment, to sit down and read them.
38
00:02:21,020 --> 00:02:25,540
But these have been such high quality reads that I definitely have been taking the time
39
00:02:25,540 --> 00:02:26,860
to read.
40
00:02:26,860 --> 00:02:34,500
And anyway, I share all that to say that when somebody is someone you know, you like, and
41
00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:40,740
you trust them, when they make a recommendation and you take it seriously, you win.
42
00:02:40,740 --> 00:02:43,780
And so this person probably read like maybe 50 books.
43
00:02:43,780 --> 00:02:46,940
And then out of the 50, he's like, you should read these 10.
44
00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:51,620
That saves me from reading 50 books that may not necessarily give me benefit and just focusing
45
00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:53,380
on the 10 high yield books.
46
00:02:53,380 --> 00:02:57,060
And I remember thinking, I was like, oh, this is such a great life hack.
47
00:02:57,060 --> 00:03:02,060
I need to come and share with my audience about life hacks that we can use as physician scientists.
48
00:03:02,060 --> 00:03:06,260
Now one example that may hit a little bit closer to home is have you ever watched a
49
00:03:06,260 --> 00:03:11,580
terrible movie and you just after three hours of watching, you know, because you kept investing
50
00:03:11,580 --> 00:03:14,540
because you know, you didn't want to lose out on the time you already invested because
51
00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:17,420
you're like, surely this movie is going to get better.
52
00:03:17,420 --> 00:03:18,420
Surely it's going to get better.
53
00:03:18,420 --> 00:03:20,980
And then three hours in, you're like, okay, I've got to wait till the end because I bet
54
00:03:20,980 --> 00:03:22,700
the end is going to make this all worth it.
55
00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:25,540
Then you get to the end and no, it's not worth it.
56
00:03:25,540 --> 00:03:26,540
Absolutely.
57
00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:29,820
It was a waste of your time, including the commute to get to movie theater.
58
00:03:29,820 --> 00:03:30,820
Yeah.
59
00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:35,100
So you wish that somebody had told you beforehand that it was going to suck so that you wouldn't
60
00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:37,020
have invested any time.
61
00:03:37,020 --> 00:03:39,020
And that's what life hacks do for you.
62
00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:40,220
They help you.
63
00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:44,740
They keep you from wasting any time and they help you to make the most out of your investment.
64
00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:48,860
So I'm sharing seven life hacks to enhance your career as a physician scientist.
65
00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:51,740
And these are not the only life hacks that exist.
66
00:03:51,740 --> 00:03:54,020
These are not an exclusive list.
67
00:03:54,020 --> 00:03:58,780
And I will say that I had an idea of what I wanted to share with you and chat GPT helped
68
00:03:58,780 --> 00:03:59,780
me out a little bit.
69
00:03:59,780 --> 00:04:02,180
So these are not a hundred percent original.
70
00:04:02,180 --> 00:04:04,740
So any full disclosure.
71
00:04:04,740 --> 00:04:05,740
Okay.
72
00:04:05,740 --> 00:04:11,100
So the very first one I want to share, and this is one that's very, very, very well known
73
00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,100
is you've got to leverage your mentorship networks.
74
00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:15,100
Okay.
75
00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:20,380
Now, one thing I didn't say, I need you to hear, but I didn't say leverage your mentor.
76
00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:21,380
Okay.
77
00:04:21,380 --> 00:04:27,580
Because if you are a savvy physician scientist growing in many areas of your life and growing
78
00:04:27,580 --> 00:04:32,180
in all aspects of your career, you should have more than one mentor.
79
00:04:32,180 --> 00:04:36,100
And in fact, the reality is you do have more than one mentor.
80
00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:40,940
The question is, have you opened your eyes to see who those mentors are?
81
00:04:40,940 --> 00:04:46,100
You not only have mentors, but you also have networks of mentors.
82
00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:47,100
Yes.
83
00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:48,980
Because you don't only have one mentor in one area.
84
00:04:48,980 --> 00:04:50,660
You have a couple of them.
85
00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:53,940
And some mentors actually span across different areas.
86
00:04:53,940 --> 00:04:56,740
For example, you have a great research mentor.
87
00:04:56,740 --> 00:04:59,900
That person is great at mentoring in research.
88
00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:04,540
But when it comes to life decisions, you're like, dude, your family doesn't see you.
89
00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:07,220
And I hear you're about to go into your fourth divorce.
90
00:05:07,220 --> 00:05:09,140
Something is not right in that area.
91
00:05:09,140 --> 00:05:12,740
I don't want mentoring from you in relationships because I think you're having challenges,
92
00:05:12,740 --> 00:05:15,880
but you are a super awesome research mentor.
93
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,820
And let's keep your research mentoring.
94
00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:22,660
And I also hear that you've done well as far as growing your career and achieving the goal
95
00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:23,660
of full professor.
96
00:05:23,660 --> 00:05:24,660
Great.
97
00:05:24,660 --> 00:05:27,420
I want mentoring on how to advance my career.
98
00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:32,820
So each mentor has something to offer you and no mentor is great in all areas.
99
00:05:32,820 --> 00:05:38,300
But you also have not just one mentor who can speak to your need in one area.
100
00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,000
You have multiple.
101
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,720
So you may have one research mentor that's excellent in biostatistics, but who's the
102
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,460
research mentor that's helpful in health services?
103
00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:51,640
And who's the research mentor that may be helping you do your translational work?
104
00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,500
So you have mentors.
105
00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:59,220
I would like if you would please say after me, I have mentors.
106
00:05:59,220 --> 00:06:01,100
No, I'm not stuck.
107
00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:02,540
No, I don't have.
108
00:06:02,540 --> 00:06:05,340
No, I am not someone who has no mentors.
109
00:06:05,340 --> 00:06:07,100
I have mentors.
110
00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:08,100
And that's true.
111
00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:10,060
You don't just have net mentors.
112
00:06:10,060 --> 00:06:12,700
You have networks of mentors.
113
00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:16,580
You succeed because you leverage the mentoring that you need.
114
00:06:16,580 --> 00:06:23,260
Again, definitely keep a primary research mentor, but recognize that you've got a whole
115
00:06:23,260 --> 00:06:28,460
network of people who are able to bring to bear their expertise to support you as you
116
00:06:28,460 --> 00:06:29,940
have need.
117
00:06:29,940 --> 00:06:34,860
Leverage your network because they have already gone the distance and they can help you take
118
00:06:34,860 --> 00:06:37,620
the shortcuts so that you can get further than they got.
119
00:06:37,620 --> 00:06:38,620
Okay.
120
00:06:38,620 --> 00:06:39,620
Leverage your mentoring networks.
121
00:06:39,620 --> 00:06:43,980
Number two, again, this is not novel.
122
00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:44,980
Focus on a niche.
123
00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:46,980
Can I say that again?
124
00:06:46,980 --> 00:06:47,980
Yes.
125
00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:48,980
Focus on a niche.
126
00:06:48,980 --> 00:06:51,740
And actually, maybe I'm saying that out loud for myself because it took me a long time
127
00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:53,900
to realize that this was necessary.
128
00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:56,780
And it took me a long time to narrow the niche down specifically.
129
00:06:56,780 --> 00:07:02,500
And to be honest, I am still in the process of narrowing the niche down further because,
130
00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:05,420
wow, there is so much to know.
131
00:07:05,420 --> 00:07:10,820
If you literally just take a drill and just drill downwards into the earth, let's just
132
00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:16,060
say you could drill downwards without extra work, without having to excavate, you would
133
00:07:16,060 --> 00:07:17,060
go very far.
134
00:07:17,060 --> 00:07:21,500
And then you would discover all sorts of things, all sorts of organisms that live deep under
135
00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:24,040
the earth that we don't see routinely.
136
00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:30,140
You would dig far enough to maybe uncover some fault lines that may suggest that volcanic
137
00:07:30,140 --> 00:07:32,220
activity is in the offing.
138
00:07:32,220 --> 00:07:39,100
Or you might find out that, wow, you get all the way to drill down to molten magma in the
139
00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:40,100
core of the earth.
140
00:07:40,100 --> 00:07:46,460
So my point, not to expose how much geological information I don't have, but my point is
141
00:07:46,460 --> 00:07:48,900
that the further you dig, the more you find.
142
00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:56,300
And if you're just going in a narrow direction, if you spread your area, gosh, there's so
143
00:07:56,300 --> 00:07:57,300
much more.
144
00:07:57,300 --> 00:07:59,260
And it's the same in research.
145
00:07:59,260 --> 00:08:04,620
There is so much in your little narrow field to become the master of, the expert of.
146
00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:07,140
And there's so much to discover.
147
00:08:07,140 --> 00:08:12,380
And so the more that you can focus, the more expert you become.
148
00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:14,800
And it's not just about becoming an expert.
149
00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:23,980
It's also about the fact that you are able to leverage every effort to the next effort.
150
00:08:23,980 --> 00:08:27,020
What I'm saying is, for example, I write a grant.
151
00:08:27,020 --> 00:08:28,020
My area is TTP.
152
00:08:28,020 --> 00:08:34,260
I write a grant about TTP in looking at patient reported outcomes.
153
00:08:34,260 --> 00:08:38,700
The next grant I write about TTP, maybe I will look at patient reported outcome measures
154
00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:41,020
as it relates to fatigue.
155
00:08:41,020 --> 00:08:42,020
Okay.
156
00:08:42,020 --> 00:08:45,220
So I've already done a ton of work thinking about TTP.
157
00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:48,820
I've done a lot of writing related to patient reported outcome measures.
158
00:08:48,820 --> 00:08:54,060
This next grant is different because now I'm focused on a different area of TTP patient
159
00:08:54,060 --> 00:08:59,500
reported outcome measures, but I can use all the information that I gathered from the last
160
00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:02,220
grant I was writing and apply it to this grant.
161
00:09:02,220 --> 00:09:03,220
So guess what?
162
00:09:03,220 --> 00:09:08,780
It takes me a shorter period of time to write this grant and I am the expert so I can really
163
00:09:08,780 --> 00:09:10,460
write well, right?
164
00:09:10,460 --> 00:09:15,820
So you're able to bring all that information to bear to move you forward in a way that
165
00:09:15,820 --> 00:09:18,460
you weren't able to move forward before.
166
00:09:18,460 --> 00:09:20,020
It is so helpful.
167
00:09:20,020 --> 00:09:26,180
Now contrast that to where I maybe wrote a grant on TTP and then someone else was like,
168
00:09:26,180 --> 00:09:29,140
hey, I really am interested in this lung cancer question.
169
00:09:29,140 --> 00:09:30,300
Would you come answer it with me?
170
00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:31,740
And I'm like, oh, sure.
171
00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:32,740
Okay.
172
00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:36,540
So now I've left everything, every gain I've made in TTP and I go answer the question of
173
00:09:36,540 --> 00:09:37,540
lung cancer.
174
00:09:37,540 --> 00:09:38,540
Wow.
175
00:09:38,540 --> 00:09:40,460
So I can start all over from scratch.
176
00:09:40,460 --> 00:09:43,880
And then if after that project doesn't pan out, I'm like, well, somebody else says over
177
00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,300
here that they're doing DVT prophylaxis.
178
00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:47,300
Oh yeah.
179
00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:48,300
In cancer.
180
00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:51,020
I could totally do that because I was a lung cancer before.
181
00:09:51,020 --> 00:09:52,020
Now I go over here.
182
00:09:52,020 --> 00:09:54,540
Well, none of the stuff I did over here translates.
183
00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:56,540
Now I have two sets of projects.
184
00:09:56,540 --> 00:10:01,260
A lot of work was invested, but now they don't translate forward to the next project.
185
00:10:01,260 --> 00:10:07,540
And so that's the diffuse energy that we have when we're spread too thin across different
186
00:10:07,540 --> 00:10:08,540
areas of expertise.
187
00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:15,140
But when we niche down, when we focus, we can really become masters and our time counts
188
00:10:15,140 --> 00:10:16,140
for more.
189
00:10:16,140 --> 00:10:22,540
The investment of time always leans forward to the next application or the next project
190
00:10:22,540 --> 00:10:24,480
or the next manuscript.
191
00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:31,300
So if you take nothing home from all the things we say today, you want to develop your niche.
192
00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:32,300
Okay.
193
00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:39,020
Number three is prioritizing grant writing early, prioritize grant writing early.
194
00:10:39,020 --> 00:10:40,900
Why does this matter?
195
00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:43,740
Because you know, no business runs without money.
196
00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:45,180
It just doesn't happen.
197
00:10:45,180 --> 00:10:50,140
And if you're a clinician moving forward in research, you recognize that you need money
198
00:10:50,140 --> 00:10:54,460
so that you can fund the part of your work that's not clinical.
199
00:10:54,460 --> 00:10:59,020
Because as long as you live, you will always be able to do the clinical work and it will
200
00:10:59,020 --> 00:11:02,620
always take up a lot of time because that's what clinical work does.
201
00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:06,260
If you're really going to have the time that's carved out so that you can be protected to
202
00:11:06,260 --> 00:11:09,740
do research, you do need funding to help you do that.
203
00:11:09,740 --> 00:11:13,460
And congratulations if you're in the place where someone's supporting you and they're
204
00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:16,780
like for the next period of a couple of years, we're just going to fund you.
205
00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:20,580
We're trusting that at the end of the season, you're going to be able to do well.
206
00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:26,780
Well, you want to have grants lined up to be able to manage your time or to be able
207
00:11:26,780 --> 00:11:30,620
to allow you to continue to support your time.
208
00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:34,380
Now I want to say this is not to where you get nervous and you're like, oh my gosh, if
209
00:11:34,380 --> 00:11:38,100
I don't write grants and get funded, I'm not going to be able to succeed.
210
00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:40,300
I just want to say you're a physician.
211
00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:47,120
You are somebody who knows how to succeed and you succeeded in the most unlikely circumstances.
212
00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:53,020
And so grant writing is a skill and like any skill, you can grow in it.
213
00:11:53,020 --> 00:11:58,740
Now it may take you time to build this skill, but put in your 10,000 hours if you believe
214
00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:05,780
in the 10,000 hours lore, but put in the time, put in the strategic investment, get feedback
215
00:12:05,780 --> 00:12:08,580
and grow your skill.
216
00:12:08,580 --> 00:12:14,620
Start with a small grant, go to the next small grant, build over time to have bigger grants,
217
00:12:14,620 --> 00:12:17,120
build over time to involve collaborators.
218
00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,320
You can grow the skill of grant writing.
219
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,000
The sooner you start, the more you build skill over time.
220
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,260
You can do it.
221
00:12:25,260 --> 00:12:26,260
It is hard.
222
00:12:26,260 --> 00:12:27,260
I was going to say it's not hard.
223
00:12:27,260 --> 00:12:30,500
It can be hard, but you know, when you started walking, that was hard too.
224
00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:34,620
And you fell a few times and you eventually mastered walking.
225
00:12:34,620 --> 00:12:36,680
And so you did it.
226
00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:39,620
You've been doing it and you can continue to do it.
227
00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:42,740
So prioritize grant writing early.
228
00:12:42,740 --> 00:12:45,380
Number four, collaborate across disciplines.
229
00:12:45,380 --> 00:12:46,380
Okay.
230
00:12:46,380 --> 00:12:49,540
I've learned that, oh, it took me so long to figure out and now I wish I had learned
231
00:12:49,540 --> 00:12:51,540
it so long ago.
232
00:12:51,540 --> 00:12:54,620
When we as clinicians are trying to do research, do you know what we do?
233
00:12:54,620 --> 00:12:55,620
We talk to other clinicians.
234
00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:57,620
We're like, hey, I'm doing this research project.
235
00:12:57,620 --> 00:12:58,620
Will you help me?
236
00:12:58,620 --> 00:12:59,620
And guess what we have?
237
00:12:59,620 --> 00:13:01,620
We have overlap of expertise.
238
00:13:01,620 --> 00:13:04,660
You may be like, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, because I'm a hematologist and they're an
239
00:13:04,660 --> 00:13:05,660
endocrinologist.
240
00:13:05,660 --> 00:13:06,660
Great.
241
00:13:06,660 --> 00:13:10,140
You're moving a little bit, but that's still very, I mean, you went to med school, you
242
00:13:10,140 --> 00:13:11,140
did residency.
243
00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:16,300
You can answer some questions about endocrinology if that's the kind of expertise that you need.
244
00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:19,780
And if you're a hematologist needing to work with an endocrinologist, then the question
245
00:13:19,780 --> 00:13:24,180
is are you sufficiently moving in the area of your niche?
246
00:13:24,180 --> 00:13:27,540
Are you spread too thin?
247
00:13:27,540 --> 00:13:28,980
But anyway, whatever.
248
00:13:28,980 --> 00:13:30,860
If you make it work, you can make it work.
249
00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:37,540
However, that does not give you the same kind of mileage as it does if, let's say, you collaborate
250
00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:39,340
with a qualitative expert.
251
00:13:39,340 --> 00:13:44,860
For example, the example I gave earlier about doing a project in TTP patient reported outcome
252
00:13:44,860 --> 00:13:48,140
measures, I collaborate with a qualitative expert.
253
00:13:48,140 --> 00:13:52,740
I don't have any qualitative expertise, but this person has qualitative expertise.
254
00:13:52,740 --> 00:13:59,140
So now I can be my dynamic clinical expertise in TTP and they bring their dynamic expertise
255
00:13:59,140 --> 00:14:02,940
and qualitative research and bam, dynamite.
256
00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:05,380
What synergy occurs?
257
00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:06,580
And okay, let's take it.
258
00:14:06,580 --> 00:14:07,980
Now let's triple that.
259
00:14:07,980 --> 00:14:11,980
Let's now say, okay, well, you have expertise in qualitative methods.
260
00:14:11,980 --> 00:14:15,060
Now let's go find someone who has an expertise in measurement.
261
00:14:15,060 --> 00:14:16,260
Wow.
262
00:14:16,260 --> 00:14:18,780
All of a sudden we have a dynamite combination.
263
00:14:18,780 --> 00:14:24,540
We can write some amazing grants with those three viewpoints all focused on one niche
264
00:14:24,540 --> 00:14:25,540
area.
265
00:14:25,540 --> 00:14:27,540
It is so, so awesome.
266
00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:33,020
And the best part is that there's no fighting.
267
00:14:33,020 --> 00:14:37,060
There's no, wait a minute, I'm a clinician here and this is the way I practice and the
268
00:14:37,060 --> 00:14:42,340
qualitative expert can't be like, well, you know, this is the way I do qualitative things.
269
00:14:42,340 --> 00:14:48,580
You all own your expertise and there doesn't have to be any fighting or hierarchical need,
270
00:14:48,580 --> 00:14:49,580
right?
271
00:14:49,580 --> 00:14:54,580
There doesn't need to be any of that because all of you can be masters of your own individual
272
00:14:54,580 --> 00:14:55,980
domains.
273
00:14:55,980 --> 00:15:00,780
If you are not leveraging collaborations in your research career, you are working too
274
00:15:00,780 --> 00:15:01,780
hard.
275
00:15:01,780 --> 00:15:06,860
Naturally, you'll always be working hard, but you're working and letting some of your
276
00:15:06,860 --> 00:15:09,060
energy go to waste.
277
00:15:09,060 --> 00:15:14,900
When you leverage collaborations, you can focus in the area of your expertise.
278
00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:18,420
You can really, really get a lot of mileage out of that.
279
00:15:18,420 --> 00:15:22,860
So do not neglect building collaborations into your work.
280
00:15:22,860 --> 00:15:25,900
And you might be like, but nobody wants to collaborate with me.
281
00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:28,660
All the collaborators are working with the senior mentors.
282
00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:29,980
They are.
283
00:15:29,980 --> 00:15:32,060
So go find someone who's on your levels.
284
00:15:32,060 --> 00:15:34,540
Find someone who's just starting out if you're just starting out.
285
00:15:34,540 --> 00:15:39,180
Or maybe who's mid-career if you're mid-career and say, hey, this is what I want to do.
286
00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:42,300
And I see that your interests may overlap in this area.
287
00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:43,300
Can we work together?
288
00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:48,340
And at the end of the day, people love working with people who have similar interests where
289
00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:49,340
they're sure gain.
290
00:15:49,340 --> 00:15:51,340
It's like, okay, we're going to write this paper.
291
00:15:51,340 --> 00:15:54,140
I'm going to be the senior author on the clinical focus paper.
292
00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:56,940
You be the senior author on the qualitative focus paper.
293
00:15:56,940 --> 00:15:57,940
Boom.
294
00:15:57,940 --> 00:15:58,940
Excellent.
295
00:15:58,940 --> 00:16:01,820
Excellent benefits to the collaboration.
296
00:16:01,820 --> 00:16:04,660
So really leverage collaborations.
297
00:16:04,660 --> 00:16:06,500
They will change your experience.
298
00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:07,500
All right.
299
00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:09,460
Number five, you got to use technology.
300
00:16:09,460 --> 00:16:12,740
You got to streamline your research with technology.
301
00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:18,220
Now that goes without saying because we're a very technologically focused group in general.
302
00:16:18,220 --> 00:16:21,340
Like I'm talking to people who are early career, mid-career.
303
00:16:21,340 --> 00:16:26,580
And I would say that technology is not a challenge for us in general.
304
00:16:26,580 --> 00:16:29,060
However, it keeps advancing.
305
00:16:29,060 --> 00:16:35,260
For example, if you're someone who's not utilizing or leveraging the power of large language
306
00:16:35,260 --> 00:16:38,260
models like chat GPT, you should think again.
307
00:16:38,260 --> 00:16:42,020
I had a conversation with a colleague not too long ago who was trying to write, they
308
00:16:42,020 --> 00:16:45,100
were trying to write a blurb for something really important.
309
00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:46,860
And they were like, I want your input.
310
00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:48,940
I'm like, great, but have you asked chat GPT?
311
00:16:48,940 --> 00:16:50,140
And they're like, what?
312
00:16:50,140 --> 00:16:55,580
I said, well, just put the information that you've written into chat GPT and ask chat
313
00:16:55,580 --> 00:16:59,700
GPT to develop in the certain way that you want and then see what you think.
314
00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:05,020
Now we've got to be ethical about our use of AI and we've got to be explicit about when
315
00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:06,580
we use it.
316
00:17:06,580 --> 00:17:11,020
But it's important for us not to bury our heads in the sand and say, well, there's no
317
00:17:11,020 --> 00:17:12,420
way I'm using this technology.
318
00:17:12,420 --> 00:17:17,580
We got to find out and we got to apply it so we can get more mileage out of the work
319
00:17:17,580 --> 00:17:19,140
that we're already doing.
320
00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:21,500
So leverage technology.
321
00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:23,780
Don't get left behind.
322
00:17:23,780 --> 00:17:28,900
Number six is to make sure that you optimize your research time.
323
00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:29,900
Okay.
324
00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,020
Optimize your research time.
325
00:17:31,020 --> 00:17:34,900
We are clinicians and we are good at clinical work.
326
00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:35,900
We're excellent.
327
00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:37,660
Like, you know, we're building skill and research.
328
00:17:37,660 --> 00:17:38,660
That's very hard.
329
00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:43,740
When it comes to clinical work, we did all the skill building over 10 years or more of
330
00:17:43,740 --> 00:17:45,980
training and it's not hard anymore.
331
00:17:45,980 --> 00:17:49,420
It's so easy to fall into the rut of just doing the clinical things because they're
332
00:17:49,420 --> 00:17:50,420
so familiar.
333
00:17:50,420 --> 00:17:57,620
And to be honest, you don't have to invest too much energy to soar, to do really well.
334
00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:02,860
But if you are not careful, clinical work will overwhelm you and then you won't be able
335
00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:04,700
to get your research done.
336
00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:06,180
And your research does matter.
337
00:18:06,180 --> 00:18:07,260
It is important.
338
00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:10,960
It's a skill that you haven't built as well as your clinical skill.
339
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:11,980
So you do need time.
340
00:18:11,980 --> 00:18:13,420
You do need to invest.
341
00:18:13,420 --> 00:18:19,140
You need to optimize your clinical time, shrink that so that you can increase your research
342
00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:20,140
time.
343
00:18:20,140 --> 00:18:21,140
How do you do that?
344
00:18:21,140 --> 00:18:25,460
You're like, well, I'm a clinician and no one's supporting me to do research.
345
00:18:25,460 --> 00:18:29,220
Well, let's look at the time you do have.
346
00:18:29,220 --> 00:18:34,740
Let's focus not on what you don't have, but what you do have and then ask ourselves, how
347
00:18:34,740 --> 00:18:37,180
do we maximize the time we have?
348
00:18:37,180 --> 00:18:41,800
Okay, I know I'm in clinic every day of the week, but you're not in clinic every morning.
349
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:48,660
How can you take 30 minutes and use that time to move research forward and to build productivity
350
00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:52,500
until you can get the blocks of time that you're looking for?
351
00:18:52,500 --> 00:18:54,800
Don't wait until you have large blocks of time.
352
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,660
How do you maximize the little time that you have right now?
353
00:18:58,660 --> 00:19:03,100
And the more you focus on and optimize the little time you have right now, you are able
354
00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,360
to really maximize that time.
355
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:11,140
So don't say you don't have time to build your research and optimize your research career.
356
00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:16,100
You want to make sure that you optimize your time and look for ways to shrink the clinical
357
00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:20,620
time or at least delegate things that are delegatable so that you can really build your
358
00:19:20,620 --> 00:19:23,340
research career and grow in these skills.
359
00:19:23,340 --> 00:19:27,780
Eventually, once you become a master in your research skills, you can go back and do anything
360
00:19:27,780 --> 00:19:28,780
you want.
361
00:19:28,780 --> 00:19:33,020
But while you're building, you really do need to focus on doing that work so that you get
362
00:19:33,020 --> 00:19:38,900
really good at it and so that you can mentor the next generation of scientists as well.
363
00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:39,900
Okay.
364
00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:44,220
Number seven, you got to be strategic about your self-promotion.
365
00:19:44,220 --> 00:19:48,140
Okay.
366
00:19:48,140 --> 00:19:52,060
It's really nice to have sponsors and mentors who, you know, they don't want to go to the
367
00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:55,420
talk and so they're like, hey, this is the person who can help you do it.
368
00:19:55,420 --> 00:19:56,420
And that's great.
369
00:19:56,420 --> 00:19:58,560
And at some point in your life, you're going to have a lot of that.
370
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,260
But even if you don't, even if there's no mentor standing to give you the things that
371
00:20:03,260 --> 00:20:08,340
they don't want but that are really instrumental to you, how can you put yourself in positions
372
00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:14,860
where you get to be able to be given the talk with or without your mentor's intervention?
373
00:20:14,860 --> 00:20:19,420
If you've developed a research niche, you've published even one or two things.
374
00:20:19,420 --> 00:20:22,180
Let's just say you've published only one thing or maybe you haven't even published.
375
00:20:22,180 --> 00:20:23,980
You're like, I'm just getting started.
376
00:20:23,980 --> 00:20:30,500
Well, where can you go to give a talk that allows you to establish yourself as the expert?
377
00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:34,940
Yes, you're maybe not the expert by just giving one talk, but you're more of an expert than
378
00:20:34,940 --> 00:20:39,220
many other people who didn't do the work to be able to give that talk.
379
00:20:39,220 --> 00:20:43,060
So once you've done it once and if you're like, well, how can I even give the first
380
00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:44,060
talk?
381
00:20:44,060 --> 00:20:45,060
No one's inviting me.
382
00:20:45,060 --> 00:20:47,540
Well, if no one's inviting you, how about you invite yourself?
383
00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:51,620
How about you call your long lost colleague or maybe your best friend from med school
384
00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:54,140
and say, hey, you're over at this institution.
385
00:20:54,140 --> 00:20:55,340
I'm over here.
386
00:20:55,340 --> 00:20:58,900
Can you invite me to come give a talk to your med students?
387
00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:04,020
And they're like, well, I don't really have money for you to come over, but sure, come
388
00:21:04,020 --> 00:21:05,020
talk to the med students.
389
00:21:05,020 --> 00:21:11,740
They will gather your research team and allow me to give a talk, give a talk virtually and
390
00:21:11,740 --> 00:21:13,580
give them a great talk.
391
00:21:13,580 --> 00:21:18,060
And then you get to put in your CV that you got an invitation from another institution
392
00:21:18,060 --> 00:21:20,940
and you gave a talk.
393
00:21:20,940 --> 00:21:24,700
It's not where you want to be long term, but it's a great place to start.
394
00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:31,500
And then all of a sudden, you are showing up as a person who gives a talk in X area.
395
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,700
And then you can ask for more invitations and then other people can start to invite
396
00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:36,940
you more.
397
00:21:36,940 --> 00:21:41,020
And then that's how you really start to build your networks.
398
00:21:41,020 --> 00:21:44,420
So engage in strategic self-promotion.
399
00:21:44,420 --> 00:21:47,860
Don't say no one's promoting me, promote yourself.
400
00:21:47,860 --> 00:21:48,860
And it's not easy.
401
00:21:48,860 --> 00:21:50,900
I'm not saying it's easy again.
402
00:21:50,900 --> 00:21:53,940
These are skills that we're building that we didn't have before.
403
00:21:53,940 --> 00:21:57,140
In our clinical training, we just put our heads down, we just work hard.
404
00:21:57,140 --> 00:22:00,620
And then people are like, wow, she's such a hard worker or he's such an amazing worker.
405
00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:04,260
But that's not how it happens in terms of getting known for your research.
406
00:22:04,260 --> 00:22:06,100
And it's so important for promotion.
407
00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:08,540
It's so important for advancement in the academy.
408
00:22:08,540 --> 00:22:11,100
You can't wait for someone to discover you.
409
00:22:11,100 --> 00:22:12,740
It's time to discover yourself.
410
00:22:12,740 --> 00:22:13,740
Okay.
411
00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:18,020
Those are seven points that I talked about, seven life hacks to grow your career as a
412
00:22:18,020 --> 00:22:19,500
physician scientist.
413
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:22,340
Number one, leverage your mentorship networks.
414
00:22:22,340 --> 00:22:24,900
Number two, focus on your niche.
415
00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:27,660
Number three, prioritize grant writing early.
416
00:22:27,660 --> 00:22:30,460
Number four, collaborate across disciplines.
417
00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:33,380
Number five, streamline your research with technology.
418
00:22:33,380 --> 00:22:36,420
Number six, make sure you optimize your research time.
419
00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:39,660
And number seven, be strategic about your self-promotion.
420
00:22:39,660 --> 00:22:40,660
All right.
421
00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:42,900
It's been such a pleasure to talk with you today.
422
00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:46,500
As always, if you're looking for a coach, if you're a clinician who wants to make that
423
00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:50,060
transition to research, but you're struggling, I would love to be your coach.
424
00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:51,060
Reach out to me on LinkedIn.
425
00:22:51,060 --> 00:22:55,980
I would love to talk to you and definitely share this episode with someone else.
426
00:22:55,980 --> 00:22:56,980
All right.
427
00:22:56,980 --> 00:22:58,420
Enjoy the rest of your day.
428
00:22:58,420 --> 00:22:59,980
I look forward to talking with you again.
429
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:02,980
See you next time on the Clinician Researcher Podcast.
430
00:23:02,980 --> 00:23:10,780
Thank you for listening.
431
00:23:10,780 --> 00:23:16,140
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast, where academic
432
00:23:16,140 --> 00:23:21,540
clinicians learn the skills to build their own research program, whether or not they
433
00:23:21,540 --> 00:23:22,940
have a mentor.
434
00:23:22,940 --> 00:23:29,020
If you found the information in this episode to be helpful, don't keep it all to yourself.
435
00:23:29,020 --> 00:23:30,780
Someone else needs to hear it.
436
00:23:30,780 --> 00:23:34,820
So take a minute right now and share it.
437
00:23:34,820 --> 00:23:40,300
As you share this episode, you become part of our mission to help launch a new generation
438
00:23:40,300 --> 00:24:00,340
of clinician researchers who make transformative discoveries that change the way we do healthcare.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,860
Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast, where academic clinicians learn the skills
2
00:00:05,860 --> 00:00:11,260
to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.
3
00:00:11,260 --> 00:00:17,340
As clinicians, we spend a decade or more as trainees learning to take care of patients.
4
00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:22,380
When we finally start our careers, we want to build research programs, but then we find
5
00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:27,780
that our years of clinical training did not adequately prepare us to lead our research
6
00:00:27,780 --> 00:00:29,180
program.
7
00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:35,480
Through no fault of our own, we struggle to find mentors, and when we can't, we quit.
8
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:40,580
However, clinicians hold the keys to the greatest research breakthroughs.
9
00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:46,200
For this reason, the Clinician Researcher podcast exists to give academic clinicians
10
00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,800
the tools to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor.
11
00:00:51,800 --> 00:01:01,100
Now introducing your host, Toyosi Onwuemene.
12
00:01:01,100 --> 00:01:03,060
Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast.
13
00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:07,180
I'm your host, Toyosi Onwuemene, and it is an absolute pleasure to be talking with you
14
00:01:07,180 --> 00:01:08,180
today.
15
00:01:08,180 --> 00:01:09,900
Thank you so much for tuning in.
16
00:01:09,900 --> 00:01:15,700
Today, I am talking about seven life hacks for physician scientists to grow their careers.
17
00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:20,580
Yes, seven life hacks for physician scientists to grow their careers.
18
00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:24,960
And I'm excited to bring you this episode because, wow, we all need life hacks.
19
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:26,780
We absolutely do.
20
00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:31,300
One of the things I realized recently is I read a book and it was such a great book.
21
00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:35,060
And I remember thinking, hmm, I have this mentor.
22
00:01:35,060 --> 00:01:37,700
He doesn't even know he's my mentor.
23
00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:40,100
He's my mentor from a distance.
24
00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:41,900
And I listened to his talks.
25
00:01:41,900 --> 00:01:43,260
He's given so many talks.
26
00:01:43,260 --> 00:01:46,520
And so I literally binge this person.
27
00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,780
And one of the things that he does that's so awesome is that he will just say, you should
28
00:01:50,780 --> 00:01:52,220
read this book.
29
00:01:52,220 --> 00:01:56,100
And he reads a lot of books, but he doesn't recommend all the books.
30
00:01:56,100 --> 00:01:59,180
And so when he says, you should read this book, I've been just going out and getting
31
00:01:59,180 --> 00:02:00,940
the books and reading them.
32
00:02:00,940 --> 00:02:05,100
And what I realized is that his advice is so high quality.
33
00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:06,940
Oh my goodness.
34
00:02:06,940 --> 00:02:08,180
And here's the thing.
35
00:02:08,180 --> 00:02:12,980
In general, right now, I'm in a busy phase in my life where I mostly listen to audiobooks.
36
00:02:12,980 --> 00:02:16,260
And so some of these older books are not available as audiobooks.
37
00:02:16,260 --> 00:02:21,020
And so it takes a lot of time, or at least investment, to sit down and read them.
38
00:02:21,020 --> 00:02:25,540
But these have been such high quality reads that I definitely have been taking the time
39
00:02:25,540 --> 00:02:26,860
to read.
40
00:02:26,860 --> 00:02:34,500
And anyway, I share all that to say that when somebody is someone you know, you like, and
41
00:02:34,500 --> 00:02:40,740
you trust them, when they make a recommendation and you take it seriously, you win.
42
00:02:40,740 --> 00:02:43,780
And so this person probably read like maybe 50 books.
43
00:02:43,780 --> 00:02:46,940
And then out of the 50, he's like, you should read these 10.
44
00:02:46,940 --> 00:02:51,620
That saves me from reading 50 books that may not necessarily give me benefit and just focusing
45
00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:53,380
on the 10 high yield books.
46
00:02:53,380 --> 00:02:57,060
And I remember thinking, I was like, oh, this is such a great life hack.
47
00:02:57,060 --> 00:03:02,060
I need to come and share with my audience about life hacks that we can use as physician scientists.
48
00:03:02,060 --> 00:03:06,260
Now one example that may hit a little bit closer to home is have you ever watched a
49
00:03:06,260 --> 00:03:11,580
terrible movie and you just after three hours of watching, you know, because you kept investing
50
00:03:11,580 --> 00:03:14,540
because you know, you didn't want to lose out on the time you already invested because
51
00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:17,420
you're like, surely this movie is going to get better.
52
00:03:17,420 --> 00:03:18,420
Surely it's going to get better.
53
00:03:18,420 --> 00:03:20,980
And then three hours in, you're like, okay, I've got to wait till the end because I bet
54
00:03:20,980 --> 00:03:22,700
the end is going to make this all worth it.
55
00:03:22,700 --> 00:03:25,540
Then you get to the end and no, it's not worth it.
56
00:03:25,540 --> 00:03:26,540
Absolutely.
57
00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:29,820
It was a waste of your time, including the commute to get to movie theater.
58
00:03:29,820 --> 00:03:30,820
Yeah.
59
00:03:30,820 --> 00:03:35,100
So you wish that somebody had told you beforehand that it was going to suck so that you wouldn't
60
00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:37,020
have invested any time.
61
00:03:37,020 --> 00:03:39,020
And that's what life hacks do for you.
62
00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:40,220
They help you.
63
00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:44,740
They keep you from wasting any time and they help you to make the most out of your investment.
64
00:03:44,740 --> 00:03:48,860
So I'm sharing seven life hacks to enhance your career as a physician scientist.
65
00:03:48,860 --> 00:03:51,740
And these are not the only life hacks that exist.
66
00:03:51,740 --> 00:03:54,020
These are not an exclusive list.
67
00:03:54,020 --> 00:03:58,780
And I will say that I had an idea of what I wanted to share with you and chat GPT helped
68
00:03:58,780 --> 00:03:59,780
me out a little bit.
69
00:03:59,780 --> 00:04:02,180
So these are not a hundred percent original.
70
00:04:02,180 --> 00:04:04,740
So any full disclosure.
71
00:04:04,740 --> 00:04:05,740
Okay.
72
00:04:05,740 --> 00:04:11,100
So the very first one I want to share, and this is one that's very, very, very well known
73
00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,100
is you've got to leverage your mentorship networks.
74
00:04:14,100 --> 00:04:15,100
Okay.
75
00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:20,380
Now, one thing I didn't say, I need you to hear, but I didn't say leverage your mentor.
76
00:04:20,380 --> 00:04:21,380
Okay.
77
00:04:21,380 --> 00:04:27,580
Because if you are a savvy physician scientist growing in many areas of your life and growing
78
00:04:27,580 --> 00:04:32,180
in all aspects of your career, you should have more than one mentor.
79
00:04:32,180 --> 00:04:36,100
And in fact, the reality is you do have more than one mentor.
80
00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:40,940
The question is, have you opened your eyes to see who those mentors are?
81
00:04:40,940 --> 00:04:46,100
You not only have mentors, but you also have networks of mentors.
82
00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:47,100
Yes.
83
00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:48,980
Because you don't only have one mentor in one area.
84
00:04:48,980 --> 00:04:50,660
You have a couple of them.
85
00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:53,940
And some mentors actually span across different areas.
86
00:04:53,940 --> 00:04:56,740
For example, you have a great research mentor.
87
00:04:56,740 --> 00:04:59,900
That person is great at mentoring in research.
88
00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:04,540
But when it comes to life decisions, you're like, dude, your family doesn't see you.
89
00:05:04,540 --> 00:05:07,220
And I hear you're about to go into your fourth divorce.
90
00:05:07,220 --> 00:05:09,140
Something is not right in that area.
91
00:05:09,140 --> 00:05:12,740
I don't want mentoring from you in relationships because I think you're having challenges,
92
00:05:12,740 --> 00:05:15,880
but you are a super awesome research mentor.
93
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,820
And let's keep your research mentoring.
94
00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:22,660
And I also hear that you've done well as far as growing your career and achieving the goal
95
00:05:22,660 --> 00:05:23,660
of full professor.
96
00:05:23,660 --> 00:05:24,660
Great.
97
00:05:24,660 --> 00:05:27,420
I want mentoring on how to advance my career.
98
00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:32,820
So each mentor has something to offer you and no mentor is great in all areas.
99
00:05:32,820 --> 00:05:38,300
But you also have not just one mentor who can speak to your need in one area.
100
00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,000
You have multiple.
101
00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,720
So you may have one research mentor that's excellent in biostatistics, but who's the
102
00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,460
research mentor that's helpful in health services?
103
00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:51,640
And who's the research mentor that may be helping you do your translational work?
104
00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,500
So you have mentors.
105
00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:59,220
I would like if you would please say after me, I have mentors.
106
00:05:59,220 --> 00:06:01,100
No, I'm not stuck.
107
00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:02,540
No, I don't have.
108
00:06:02,540 --> 00:06:05,340
No, I am not someone who has no mentors.
109
00:06:05,340 --> 00:06:07,100
I have mentors.
110
00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:08,100
And that's true.
111
00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:10,060
You don't just have net mentors.
112
00:06:10,060 --> 00:06:12,700
You have networks of mentors.
113
00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:16,580
You succeed because you leverage the mentoring that you need.
114
00:06:16,580 --> 00:06:23,260
Again, definitely keep a primary research mentor, but recognize that you've got a whole
115
00:06:23,260 --> 00:06:28,460
network of people who are able to bring to bear their expertise to support you as you
116
00:06:28,460 --> 00:06:29,940
have need.
117
00:06:29,940 --> 00:06:34,860
Leverage your network because they have already gone the distance and they can help you take
118
00:06:34,860 --> 00:06:37,620
the shortcuts so that you can get further than they got.
119
00:06:37,620 --> 00:06:38,620
Okay.
120
00:06:38,620 --> 00:06:39,620
Leverage your mentoring networks.
121
00:06:39,620 --> 00:06:43,980
Number two, again, this is not novel.
122
00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:44,980
Focus on a niche.
123
00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:46,980
Can I say that again?
124
00:06:46,980 --> 00:06:47,980
Yes.
125
00:06:47,980 --> 00:06:48,980
Focus on a niche.
126
00:06:48,980 --> 00:06:51,740
And actually, maybe I'm saying that out loud for myself because it took me a long time
127
00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:53,900
to realize that this was necessary.
128
00:06:53,900 --> 00:06:56,780
And it took me a long time to narrow the niche down specifically.
129
00:06:56,780 --> 00:07:02,500
And to be honest, I am still in the process of narrowing the niche down further because,
130
00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:05,420
wow, there is so much to know.
131
00:07:05,420 --> 00:07:10,820
If you literally just take a drill and just drill downwards into the earth, let's just
132
00:07:10,820 --> 00:07:16,060
say you could drill downwards without extra work, without having to excavate, you would
133
00:07:16,060 --> 00:07:17,060
go very far.
134
00:07:17,060 --> 00:07:21,500
And then you would discover all sorts of things, all sorts of organisms that live deep under
135
00:07:21,500 --> 00:07:24,040
the earth that we don't see routinely.
136
00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:30,140
You would dig far enough to maybe uncover some fault lines that may suggest that volcanic
137
00:07:30,140 --> 00:07:32,220
activity is in the offing.
138
00:07:32,220 --> 00:07:39,100
Or you might find out that, wow, you get all the way to drill down to molten magma in the
139
00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:40,100
core of the earth.
140
00:07:40,100 --> 00:07:46,460
So my point, not to expose how much geological information I don't have, but my point is
141
00:07:46,460 --> 00:07:48,900
that the further you dig, the more you find.
142
00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:56,300
And if you're just going in a narrow direction, if you spread your area, gosh, there's so
143
00:07:56,300 --> 00:07:57,300
much more.
144
00:07:57,300 --> 00:07:59,260
And it's the same in research.
145
00:07:59,260 --> 00:08:04,620
There is so much in your little narrow field to become the master of, the expert of.
146
00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:07,140
And there's so much to discover.
147
00:08:07,140 --> 00:08:12,380
And so the more that you can focus, the more expert you become.
148
00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:14,800
And it's not just about becoming an expert.
149
00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:23,980
It's also about the fact that you are able to leverage every effort to the next effort.
150
00:08:23,980 --> 00:08:27,020
What I'm saying is, for example, I write a grant.
151
00:08:27,020 --> 00:08:28,020
My area is TTP.
152
00:08:28,020 --> 00:08:34,260
I write a grant about TTP in looking at patient reported outcomes.
153
00:08:34,260 --> 00:08:38,700
The next grant I write about TTP, maybe I will look at patient reported outcome measures
154
00:08:38,700 --> 00:08:41,020
as it relates to fatigue.
155
00:08:41,020 --> 00:08:42,020
Okay.
156
00:08:42,020 --> 00:08:45,220
So I've already done a ton of work thinking about TTP.
157
00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:48,820
I've done a lot of writing related to patient reported outcome measures.
158
00:08:48,820 --> 00:08:54,060
This next grant is different because now I'm focused on a different area of TTP patient
159
00:08:54,060 --> 00:08:59,500
reported outcome measures, but I can use all the information that I gathered from the last
160
00:08:59,500 --> 00:09:02,220
grant I was writing and apply it to this grant.
161
00:09:02,220 --> 00:09:03,220
So guess what?
162
00:09:03,220 --> 00:09:08,780
It takes me a shorter period of time to write this grant and I am the expert so I can really
163
00:09:08,780 --> 00:09:10,460
write well, right?
164
00:09:10,460 --> 00:09:15,820
So you're able to bring all that information to bear to move you forward in a way that
165
00:09:15,820 --> 00:09:18,460
you weren't able to move forward before.
166
00:09:18,460 --> 00:09:20,020
It is so helpful.
167
00:09:20,020 --> 00:09:26,180
Now contrast that to where I maybe wrote a grant on TTP and then someone else was like,
168
00:09:26,180 --> 00:09:29,140
hey, I really am interested in this lung cancer question.
169
00:09:29,140 --> 00:09:30,300
Would you come answer it with me?
170
00:09:30,300 --> 00:09:31,740
And I'm like, oh, sure.
171
00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:32,740
Okay.
172
00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:36,540
So now I've left everything, every gain I've made in TTP and I go answer the question of
173
00:09:36,540 --> 00:09:37,540
lung cancer.
174
00:09:37,540 --> 00:09:38,540
Wow.
175
00:09:38,540 --> 00:09:40,460
So I can start all over from scratch.
176
00:09:40,460 --> 00:09:43,880
And then if after that project doesn't pan out, I'm like, well, somebody else says over
177
00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,300
here that they're doing DVT prophylaxis.
178
00:09:46,300 --> 00:09:47,300
Oh yeah.
179
00:09:47,300 --> 00:09:48,300
In cancer.
180
00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:51,020
I could totally do that because I was a lung cancer before.
181
00:09:51,020 --> 00:09:52,020
Now I go over here.
182
00:09:52,020 --> 00:09:54,540
Well, none of the stuff I did over here translates.
183
00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:56,540
Now I have two sets of projects.
184
00:09:56,540 --> 00:10:01,260
A lot of work was invested, but now they don't translate forward to the next project.
185
00:10:01,260 --> 00:10:07,540
And so that's the diffuse energy that we have when we're spread too thin across different
186
00:10:07,540 --> 00:10:08,540
areas of expertise.
187
00:10:08,540 --> 00:10:15,140
But when we niche down, when we focus, we can really become masters and our time counts
188
00:10:15,140 --> 00:10:16,140
for more.
189
00:10:16,140 --> 00:10:22,540
The investment of time always leans forward to the next application or the next project
190
00:10:22,540 --> 00:10:24,480
or the next manuscript.
191
00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:31,300
So if you take nothing home from all the things we say today, you want to develop your niche.
192
00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:32,300
Okay.
193
00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:39,020
Number three is prioritizing grant writing early, prioritize grant writing early.
194
00:10:39,020 --> 00:10:40,900
Why does this matter?
195
00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:43,740
Because you know, no business runs without money.
196
00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:45,180
It just doesn't happen.
197
00:10:45,180 --> 00:10:50,140
And if you're a clinician moving forward in research, you recognize that you need money
198
00:10:50,140 --> 00:10:54,460
so that you can fund the part of your work that's not clinical.
199
00:10:54,460 --> 00:10:59,020
Because as long as you live, you will always be able to do the clinical work and it will
200
00:10:59,020 --> 00:11:02,620
always take up a lot of time because that's what clinical work does.
201
00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:06,260
If you're really going to have the time that's carved out so that you can be protected to
202
00:11:06,260 --> 00:11:09,740
do research, you do need funding to help you do that.
203
00:11:09,740 --> 00:11:13,460
And congratulations if you're in the place where someone's supporting you and they're
204
00:11:13,460 --> 00:11:16,780
like for the next period of a couple of years, we're just going to fund you.
205
00:11:16,780 --> 00:11:20,580
We're trusting that at the end of the season, you're going to be able to do well.
206
00:11:20,580 --> 00:11:26,780
Well, you want to have grants lined up to be able to manage your time or to be able
207
00:11:26,780 --> 00:11:30,620
to allow you to continue to support your time.
208
00:11:30,620 --> 00:11:34,380
Now I want to say this is not to where you get nervous and you're like, oh my gosh, if
209
00:11:34,380 --> 00:11:38,100
I don't write grants and get funded, I'm not going to be able to succeed.
210
00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:40,300
I just want to say you're a physician.
211
00:11:40,300 --> 00:11:47,120
You are somebody who knows how to succeed and you succeeded in the most unlikely circumstances.
212
00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:53,020
And so grant writing is a skill and like any skill, you can grow in it.
213
00:11:53,020 --> 00:11:58,740
Now it may take you time to build this skill, but put in your 10,000 hours if you believe
214
00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:05,780
in the 10,000 hours lore, but put in the time, put in the strategic investment, get feedback
215
00:12:05,780 --> 00:12:08,580
and grow your skill.
216
00:12:08,580 --> 00:12:14,620
Start with a small grant, go to the next small grant, build over time to have bigger grants,
217
00:12:14,620 --> 00:12:17,120
build over time to involve collaborators.
218
00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:19,320
You can grow the skill of grant writing.
219
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,000
The sooner you start, the more you build skill over time.
220
00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:25,260
You can do it.
221
00:12:25,260 --> 00:12:26,260
It is hard.
222
00:12:26,260 --> 00:12:27,260
I was going to say it's not hard.
223
00:12:27,260 --> 00:12:30,500
It can be hard, but you know, when you started walking, that was hard too.
224
00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:34,620
And you fell a few times and you eventually mastered walking.
225
00:12:34,620 --> 00:12:36,680
And so you did it.
226
00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:39,620
You've been doing it and you can continue to do it.
227
00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:42,740
So prioritize grant writing early.
228
00:12:42,740 --> 00:12:45,380
Number four, collaborate across disciplines.
229
00:12:45,380 --> 00:12:46,380
Okay.
230
00:12:46,380 --> 00:12:49,540
I've learned that, oh, it took me so long to figure out and now I wish I had learned
231
00:12:49,540 --> 00:12:51,540
it so long ago.
232
00:12:51,540 --> 00:12:54,620
When we as clinicians are trying to do research, do you know what we do?
233
00:12:54,620 --> 00:12:55,620
We talk to other clinicians.
234
00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:57,620
We're like, hey, I'm doing this research project.
235
00:12:57,620 --> 00:12:58,620
Will you help me?
236
00:12:58,620 --> 00:12:59,620
And guess what we have?
237
00:12:59,620 --> 00:13:01,620
We have overlap of expertise.
238
00:13:01,620 --> 00:13:04,660
You may be like, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, because I'm a hematologist and they're an
239
00:13:04,660 --> 00:13:05,660
endocrinologist.
240
00:13:05,660 --> 00:13:06,660
Great.
241
00:13:06,660 --> 00:13:10,140
You're moving a little bit, but that's still very, I mean, you went to med school, you
242
00:13:10,140 --> 00:13:11,140
did residency.
243
00:13:11,140 --> 00:13:16,300
You can answer some questions about endocrinology if that's the kind of expertise that you need.
244
00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:19,780
And if you're a hematologist needing to work with an endocrinologist, then the question
245
00:13:19,780 --> 00:13:24,180
is are you sufficiently moving in the area of your niche?
246
00:13:24,180 --> 00:13:27,540
Are you spread too thin?
247
00:13:27,540 --> 00:13:28,980
But anyway, whatever.
248
00:13:28,980 --> 00:13:30,860
If you make it work, you can make it work.
249
00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:37,540
However, that does not give you the same kind of mileage as it does if, let's say, you collaborate
250
00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:39,340
with a qualitative expert.
251
00:13:39,340 --> 00:13:44,860
For example, the example I gave earlier about doing a project in TTP patient reported outcome
252
00:13:44,860 --> 00:13:48,140
measures, I collaborate with a qualitative expert.
253
00:13:48,140 --> 00:13:52,740
I don't have any qualitative expertise, but this person has qualitative expertise.
254
00:13:52,740 --> 00:13:59,140
So now I can be my dynamic clinical expertise in TTP and they bring their dynamic expertise
255
00:13:59,140 --> 00:14:02,940
and qualitative research and bam, dynamite.
256
00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:05,380
What synergy occurs?
257
00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:06,580
And okay, let's take it.
258
00:14:06,580 --> 00:14:07,980
Now let's triple that.
259
00:14:07,980 --> 00:14:11,980
Let's now say, okay, well, you have expertise in qualitative methods.
260
00:14:11,980 --> 00:14:15,060
Now let's go find someone who has an expertise in measurement.
261
00:14:15,060 --> 00:14:16,260
Wow.
262
00:14:16,260 --> 00:14:18,780
All of a sudden we have a dynamite combination.
263
00:14:18,780 --> 00:14:24,540
We can write some amazing grants with those three viewpoints all focused on one niche
264
00:14:24,540 --> 00:14:25,540
area.
265
00:14:25,540 --> 00:14:27,540
It is so, so awesome.
266
00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:33,020
And the best part is that there's no fighting.
267
00:14:33,020 --> 00:14:37,060
There's no, wait a minute, I'm a clinician here and this is the way I practice and the
268
00:14:37,060 --> 00:14:42,340
qualitative expert can't be like, well, you know, this is the way I do qualitative things.
269
00:14:42,340 --> 00:14:48,580
You all own your expertise and there doesn't have to be any fighting or hierarchical need,
270
00:14:48,580 --> 00:14:49,580
right?
271
00:14:49,580 --> 00:14:54,580
There doesn't need to be any of that because all of you can be masters of your own individual
272
00:14:54,580 --> 00:14:55,980
domains.
273
00:14:55,980 --> 00:15:00,780
If you are not leveraging collaborations in your research career, you are working too
274
00:15:00,780 --> 00:15:01,780
hard.
275
00:15:01,780 --> 00:15:06,860
Naturally, you'll always be working hard, but you're working and letting some of your
276
00:15:06,860 --> 00:15:09,060
energy go to waste.
277
00:15:09,060 --> 00:15:14,900
When you leverage collaborations, you can focus in the area of your expertise.
278
00:15:14,900 --> 00:15:18,420
You can really, really get a lot of mileage out of that.
279
00:15:18,420 --> 00:15:22,860
So do not neglect building collaborations into your work.
280
00:15:22,860 --> 00:15:25,900
And you might be like, but nobody wants to collaborate with me.
281
00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:28,660
All the collaborators are working with the senior mentors.
282
00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:29,980
They are.
283
00:15:29,980 --> 00:15:32,060
So go find someone who's on your levels.
284
00:15:32,060 --> 00:15:34,540
Find someone who's just starting out if you're just starting out.
285
00:15:34,540 --> 00:15:39,180
Or maybe who's mid-career if you're mid-career and say, hey, this is what I want to do.
286
00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:42,300
And I see that your interests may overlap in this area.
287
00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:43,300
Can we work together?
288
00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:48,340
And at the end of the day, people love working with people who have similar interests where
289
00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:49,340
they're sure gain.
290
00:15:49,340 --> 00:15:51,340
It's like, okay, we're going to write this paper.
291
00:15:51,340 --> 00:15:54,140
I'm going to be the senior author on the clinical focus paper.
292
00:15:54,140 --> 00:15:56,940
You be the senior author on the qualitative focus paper.
293
00:15:56,940 --> 00:15:57,940
Boom.
294
00:15:57,940 --> 00:15:58,940
Excellent.
295
00:15:58,940 --> 00:16:01,820
Excellent benefits to the collaboration.
296
00:16:01,820 --> 00:16:04,660
So really leverage collaborations.
297
00:16:04,660 --> 00:16:06,500
They will change your experience.
298
00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:07,500
All right.
299
00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:09,460
Number five, you got to use technology.
300
00:16:09,460 --> 00:16:12,740
You got to streamline your research with technology.
301
00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:18,220
Now that goes without saying because we're a very technologically focused group in general.
302
00:16:18,220 --> 00:16:21,340
Like I'm talking to people who are early career, mid-career.
303
00:16:21,340 --> 00:16:26,580
And I would say that technology is not a challenge for us in general.
304
00:16:26,580 --> 00:16:29,060
However, it keeps advancing.
305
00:16:29,060 --> 00:16:35,260
For example, if you're someone who's not utilizing or leveraging the power of large language
306
00:16:35,260 --> 00:16:38,260
models like chat GPT, you should think again.
307
00:16:38,260 --> 00:16:42,020
I had a conversation with a colleague not too long ago who was trying to write, they
308
00:16:42,020 --> 00:16:45,100
were trying to write a blurb for something really important.
309
00:16:45,100 --> 00:16:46,860
And they were like, I want your input.
310
00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:48,940
I'm like, great, but have you asked chat GPT?
311
00:16:48,940 --> 00:16:50,140
And they're like, what?
312
00:16:50,140 --> 00:16:55,580
I said, well, just put the information that you've written into chat GPT and ask chat
313
00:16:55,580 --> 00:16:59,700
GPT to develop in the certain way that you want and then see what you think.
314
00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:05,020
Now we've got to be ethical about our use of AI and we've got to be explicit about when
315
00:17:05,020 --> 00:17:06,580
we use it.
316
00:17:06,580 --> 00:17:11,020
But it's important for us not to bury our heads in the sand and say, well, there's no
317
00:17:11,020 --> 00:17:12,420
way I'm using this technology.
318
00:17:12,420 --> 00:17:17,580
We got to find out and we got to apply it so we can get more mileage out of the work
319
00:17:17,580 --> 00:17:19,140
that we're already doing.
320
00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:21,500
So leverage technology.
321
00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:23,780
Don't get left behind.
322
00:17:23,780 --> 00:17:28,900
Number six is to make sure that you optimize your research time.
323
00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:29,900
Okay.
324
00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,020
Optimize your research time.
325
00:17:31,020 --> 00:17:34,900
We are clinicians and we are good at clinical work.
326
00:17:34,900 --> 00:17:35,900
We're excellent.
327
00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:37,660
Like, you know, we're building skill and research.
328
00:17:37,660 --> 00:17:38,660
That's very hard.
329
00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:43,740
When it comes to clinical work, we did all the skill building over 10 years or more of
330
00:17:43,740 --> 00:17:45,980
training and it's not hard anymore.
331
00:17:45,980 --> 00:17:49,420
It's so easy to fall into the rut of just doing the clinical things because they're
332
00:17:49,420 --> 00:17:50,420
so familiar.
333
00:17:50,420 --> 00:17:57,620
And to be honest, you don't have to invest too much energy to soar, to do really well.
334
00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:02,860
But if you are not careful, clinical work will overwhelm you and then you won't be able
335
00:18:02,860 --> 00:18:04,700
to get your research done.
336
00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:06,180
And your research does matter.
337
00:18:06,180 --> 00:18:07,260
It is important.
338
00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:10,960
It's a skill that you haven't built as well as your clinical skill.
339
00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:11,980
So you do need time.
340
00:18:11,980 --> 00:18:13,420
You do need to invest.
341
00:18:13,420 --> 00:18:19,140
You need to optimize your clinical time, shrink that so that you can increase your research
342
00:18:19,140 --> 00:18:20,140
time.
343
00:18:20,140 --> 00:18:21,140
How do you do that?
344
00:18:21,140 --> 00:18:25,460
You're like, well, I'm a clinician and no one's supporting me to do research.
345
00:18:25,460 --> 00:18:29,220
Well, let's look at the time you do have.
346
00:18:29,220 --> 00:18:34,740
Let's focus not on what you don't have, but what you do have and then ask ourselves, how
347
00:18:34,740 --> 00:18:37,180
do we maximize the time we have?
348
00:18:37,180 --> 00:18:41,800
Okay, I know I'm in clinic every day of the week, but you're not in clinic every morning.
349
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:48,660
How can you take 30 minutes and use that time to move research forward and to build productivity
350
00:18:48,660 --> 00:18:52,500
until you can get the blocks of time that you're looking for?
351
00:18:52,500 --> 00:18:54,800
Don't wait until you have large blocks of time.
352
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,660
How do you maximize the little time that you have right now?
353
00:18:58,660 --> 00:19:03,100
And the more you focus on and optimize the little time you have right now, you are able
354
00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,360
to really maximize that time.
355
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:11,140
So don't say you don't have time to build your research and optimize your research career.
356
00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:16,100
You want to make sure that you optimize your time and look for ways to shrink the clinical
357
00:19:16,100 --> 00:19:20,620
time or at least delegate things that are delegatable so that you can really build your
358
00:19:20,620 --> 00:19:23,340
research career and grow in these skills.
359
00:19:23,340 --> 00:19:27,780
Eventually, once you become a master in your research skills, you can go back and do anything
360
00:19:27,780 --> 00:19:28,780
you want.
361
00:19:28,780 --> 00:19:33,020
But while you're building, you really do need to focus on doing that work so that you get
362
00:19:33,020 --> 00:19:38,900
really good at it and so that you can mentor the next generation of scientists as well.
363
00:19:38,900 --> 00:19:39,900
Okay.
364
00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:44,220
Number seven, you got to be strategic about your self-promotion.
365
00:19:44,220 --> 00:19:48,140
Okay.
366
00:19:48,140 --> 00:19:52,060
It's really nice to have sponsors and mentors who, you know, they don't want to go to the
367
00:19:52,060 --> 00:19:55,420
talk and so they're like, hey, this is the person who can help you do it.
368
00:19:55,420 --> 00:19:56,420
And that's great.
369
00:19:56,420 --> 00:19:58,560
And at some point in your life, you're going to have a lot of that.
370
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,260
But even if you don't, even if there's no mentor standing to give you the things that
371
00:20:03,260 --> 00:20:08,340
they don't want but that are really instrumental to you, how can you put yourself in positions
372
00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:14,860
where you get to be able to be given the talk with or without your mentor's intervention?
373
00:20:14,860 --> 00:20:19,420
If you've developed a research niche, you've published even one or two things.
374
00:20:19,420 --> 00:20:22,180
Let's just say you've published only one thing or maybe you haven't even published.
375
00:20:22,180 --> 00:20:23,980
You're like, I'm just getting started.
376
00:20:23,980 --> 00:20:30,500
Well, where can you go to give a talk that allows you to establish yourself as the expert?
377
00:20:30,500 --> 00:20:34,940
Yes, you're maybe not the expert by just giving one talk, but you're more of an expert than
378
00:20:34,940 --> 00:20:39,220
many other people who didn't do the work to be able to give that talk.
379
00:20:39,220 --> 00:20:43,060
So once you've done it once and if you're like, well, how can I even give the first
380
00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:44,060
talk?
381
00:20:44,060 --> 00:20:45,060
No one's inviting me.
382
00:20:45,060 --> 00:20:47,540
Well, if no one's inviting you, how about you invite yourself?
383
00:20:47,540 --> 00:20:51,620
How about you call your long lost colleague or maybe your best friend from med school
384
00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:54,140
and say, hey, you're over at this institution.
385
00:20:54,140 --> 00:20:55,340
I'm over here.
386
00:20:55,340 --> 00:20:58,900
Can you invite me to come give a talk to your med students?
387
00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:04,020
And they're like, well, I don't really have money for you to come over, but sure, come
388
00:21:04,020 --> 00:21:05,020
talk to the med students.
389
00:21:05,020 --> 00:21:11,740
They will gather your research team and allow me to give a talk, give a talk virtually and
390
00:21:11,740 --> 00:21:13,580
give them a great talk.
391
00:21:13,580 --> 00:21:18,060
And then you get to put in your CV that you got an invitation from another institution
392
00:21:18,060 --> 00:21:20,940
and you gave a talk.
393
00:21:20,940 --> 00:21:24,700
It's not where you want to be long term, but it's a great place to start.
394
00:21:24,700 --> 00:21:31,500
And then all of a sudden, you are showing up as a person who gives a talk in X area.
395
00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:35,700
And then you can ask for more invitations and then other people can start to invite
396
00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:36,940
you more.
397
00:21:36,940 --> 00:21:41,020
And then that's how you really start to build your networks.
398
00:21:41,020 --> 00:21:44,420
So engage in strategic self-promotion.
399
00:21:44,420 --> 00:21:47,860
Don't say no one's promoting me, promote yourself.
400
00:21:47,860 --> 00:21:48,860
And it's not easy.
401
00:21:48,860 --> 00:21:50,900
I'm not saying it's easy again.
402
00:21:50,900 --> 00:21:53,940
These are skills that we're building that we didn't have before.
403
00:21:53,940 --> 00:21:57,140
In our clinical training, we just put our heads down, we just work hard.
404
00:21:57,140 --> 00:22:00,620
And then people are like, wow, she's such a hard worker or he's such an amazing worker.
405
00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:04,260
But that's not how it happens in terms of getting known for your research.
406
00:22:04,260 --> 00:22:06,100
And it's so important for promotion.
407
00:22:06,100 --> 00:22:08,540
It's so important for advancement in the academy.
408
00:22:08,540 --> 00:22:11,100
You can't wait for someone to discover you.
409
00:22:11,100 --> 00:22:12,740
It's time to discover yourself.
410
00:22:12,740 --> 00:22:13,740
Okay.
411
00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:18,020
Those are seven points that I talked about, seven life hacks to grow your career as a
412
00:22:18,020 --> 00:22:19,500
physician scientist.
413
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:22,340
Number one, leverage your mentorship networks.
414
00:22:22,340 --> 00:22:24,900
Number two, focus on your niche.
415
00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:27,660
Number three, prioritize grant writing early.
416
00:22:27,660 --> 00:22:30,460
Number four, collaborate across disciplines.
417
00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:33,380
Number five, streamline your research with technology.
418
00:22:33,380 --> 00:22:36,420
Number six, make sure you optimize your research time.
419
00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:39,660
And number seven, be strategic about your self-promotion.
420
00:22:39,660 --> 00:22:40,660
All right.
421
00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:42,900
It's been such a pleasure to talk with you today.
422
00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:46,500
As always, if you're looking for a coach, if you're a clinician who wants to make that
423
00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:50,060
transition to research, but you're struggling, I would love to be your coach.
424
00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:51,060
Reach out to me on LinkedIn.
425
00:22:51,060 --> 00:22:55,980
I would love to talk to you and definitely share this episode with someone else.
426
00:22:55,980 --> 00:22:56,980
All right.
427
00:22:56,980 --> 00:22:58,420
Enjoy the rest of your day.
428
00:22:58,420 --> 00:22:59,980
I look forward to talking with you again.
429
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:02,980
See you next time on the Clinician Researcher Podcast.
430
00:23:02,980 --> 00:23:10,780
Thank you for listening.
431
00:23:10,780 --> 00:23:16,140
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast, where academic
432
00:23:16,140 --> 00:23:21,540
clinicians learn the skills to build their own research program, whether or not they
433
00:23:21,540 --> 00:23:22,940
have a mentor.
434
00:23:22,940 --> 00:23:29,020
If you found the information in this episode to be helpful, don't keep it all to yourself.
435
00:23:29,020 --> 00:23:30,780
Someone else needs to hear it.
436
00:23:30,780 --> 00:23:34,820
So take a minute right now and share it.
437
00:23:34,820 --> 00:23:40,300
As you share this episode, you become part of our mission to help launch a new generation
438
00:23:40,300 --> 00:24:00,340
of clinician researchers who make transformative discoveries that change the way we do healthcare.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Listen On
New to Clinician Researcher?
Feb. 5, 2024
Keys to Your Success - The Importance of Focus
In this episode, we explore the pivotal role of focus. In the journey to becoming a clinician scientist, we discuss the complexities of balancing clinical responsibilities, research, and administrative duties. Key Points Disc...
Jan. 5, 2024
Welcome to 2024!
In this episode, the Clinician Researcher Podcast sets off Season 2 with a focus on supporting clinicians transitioning to researchers while emphasizing authenticity and individuality. Key Points Discussed: Transitioning to a...
Sept. 4, 2023
How to negotiate your salary
Salary negotiations in academic medicine can be challenging. It is especially challenging because no one teaches you how to negotiate well. In this episode, we break down the salary negotiation process. This process highlight...
Aug. 7, 2023
How to negotiate for protected time
In this episode, we explore the art of negotiating protected time. Negotiate time to advance your research and career by doing the following things: Get clarity on what protected time will do for you. Develop a strategic plan...
Aug. 3, 2023
Why do I need protected time?
Podcast Show Notes - Clinician Researcher, Episode 3: Why do I need protected time? Welcome to another enlightening episode of the "Clinician Researcher" podcast. In this episode, we delve into the concept of "Protected Time"...
Aug. 2, 2023
Can I succeed with or without a mentor?
Podcast Show Notes - Clinician Researcher, Episode 2: Can I Succeed with or without a Mentor? Did you know that mentorship plays a crucial role in shaping the success of clinicians and researchers? According to a systematic r...
Aug. 1, 2023
Why Clinicians Should Lead Research
Welcome to the inaugural episode of the "Clinician Researcher" podcast, where we empower clinicians to become successful research leaders. In this inaugural episode, we explore why clinicians should lead research programs. We...