Welcome to My Weekend

May 07 2012 Published by under Societies and Meetings, Uncategorized, Women in Medicine, Women in Science

Empowering today's leaders to guide tomorrow's healthcare enterprise

I spent another weekend (OK, a long, Thursday through Sunday weekend) on the road in Philadelphia. This time I attended the first meeting of a group now called Women Executives in Science & Healthcare (WESH).  This group consists of men and women who have middle- and upper-level management positions in academic medicine and dentistry and public health. As part of our recent rebranding, we developed the following definition:

Integrated network of executive leaders in healthcare & science across the academic health enterprise

We want to bridge the walls between disciplines both within and outside of academia. We hope to attract C-suite women in healthcare: Chief Legal Officers, Chief Medical Officers, and others in healthcare management who do not necessarily have a healthcare or science degree. Managers in biotech and pharma will also be interested in the networking opportunities provided by this group.

The educational portion of the Spring Summit, dedicated to Renewal and Redirection, can be found here. While not the largest gathering of twitterati on the planet, a handful of folks provided enough thoughts to produce this Storify:

Want to know more about WESH or think you might want to join? Click the links and learn more at our brand-spanking-new web site!

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Meeting & Greeting

Apr 09 2012 Published by under [Education&Careers]

An interesting post at Science News addresses the costs of conferences. All sorts of issues arise, including shrinking travel budgets, environmental costs of all that air travel, preliminary work that becomes "permanent", and even the number of trees used to generate program books. Having been in the biomedical science biz for 20+ years now, I have survived several waves of "let's quit meeting and just do this online." Conferences will never go away for one reason: we like them.

Bumping into new contacts in the Exhibit Hall

Oh, I hear people complaining about taking time away from their work and family. We all gripe about time spent in airports. Yet we all keep submitting and accepting and going because nothing replaces face-to-face interactions for us human beings.

There is value in meeting potential colleagues and reviewers. Some of the best ideas and collaborations get built around informal conversations when you toss a group of people with something in common together. Big keynote addresses could just as easily be done via the net, but those do not keep me on the road. No, it's the chance to meet new people who will help me think about things in a new way. I always consider a meeting successful if I get one new idea to explore.

Last month my department had a panel discussion about working a meeting, directed at our trainees and junior faculty. Those of us on the panel all agreed that networking (there's that word again) was why we paid for attendance. You never know who may be important in reviewing your work or getting you hired sometime down the line. Even if you really only connect with other trainees, you will learn more stuff about what other programs are like (you may be in nirvana and not know it). You may meet someone who will be hiring when you are ready for a second job. You may meet someone who will be reviewing you on their first study-section assignment. You will learn something from everyone you meet. Think of it as being mentored by a hive of "E-Bees".

There are some tips we gave our n00bs to make their networking easier. First, get a professional non-university email. You do not want all your job offers and conversations going through your university accounts. You also do not want to use an address that is too personal; "lovesbeer@yahoo.com" or "partygirl@gmail.com" will not impress potential colleagues. If it does, you probably do not want that job. Figure out some permutation of your name and/or science and get that gmail account set up now. As someone who recently changed jobs, it was wonderful to have a "permanent" email to use as my university account went dead.

Next we suggested business cards. Even in the age of the electronic frontier, the humble piece of dead tree remains the most accepted method of exchanging contact information. You're a trainee and they don't make cards for you? Do it yourself! Anyone with a computer and printer can buy a pack at the office store and have reasonable cards in less than an hour. Yes, some people will exchange cards and then throw yours out in the airport. Some new acquaintances will put you in their contacts. That's the way it works. You will do the same.

Finally, consider starting an online presence. If you aren't up to a full-fledged website, at least start on LinkedIn (this link takes you to my public profile as an example). The networking site for professionals essentially puts your resume into your profile. Upload a nice photo of your face, and you're in business. Eventually, you will make connections on the site. Some of us even get the odd job offer via LinkedIn (wrong place, wrong time, but otherwise something I would have jumped at). It will not yet replace emailing your CV, but it does give you an online presence that should not provide any embarrassing personal details. Eventually you will find useful information here via interest groups and discussions.

Finally, remember that the real meeting takes place away from the microphone. Casual discussions in hallways and restaurants and bars are more important than plenary sessions (unless you are on the platform, and even then...).

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Field Guide to Mentors

Mar 26 2012 Published by under [Education&Careers]

Once again, the importance of mentorship came up online. This topic crosses boundaries at will, with everyone seeking mentors for all aspects of life. Amazon currently lists 9,365 entries in books for the term "mentor." A Pubmed search shows 8,142 entries for mentor, with one article from 1912 using the term.

Telemachus and Mentor

Mentors are clearly desirable and important for success. Go read some of those 8,000+ articles if you do not believe me. So you want a mentor.

Where do you find one of these seemingly magical beings who can impart wisdom? You probably will not find one.

You will need several. No one person will supply all aspects of mentorship.

Instead of searching for a mentor, think about having a personal Board of Directors. These can be colleagues or acquaintances, senior or junior to you. Some may provide minimal help, others may truly take you under wing and meticulously groom you for success. Some will lead by example. Others may be great sounding-boards when you need to think out loud. You will find these folks through networking within and outside of your institution.

Do not think I am speaking only to the n00bs out there. As a full professor, I still have mentors. Sometimes we mentor each other, but you never become too senior to need advice and counsel.

Roles of mentors can include:

  • Career coach
  • Institutional historian
  • Professional booster
  • Reality check-point
  • Role model

Unless you are required to designate a mentor, I would not ask people to take on the role. The task sounds overwhelming, and many may shy away from such responsibility, feeling inadequate. Instead, converse as needed with them as issues arise. Sometimes you only realize you have been mentored in retrospect!

Even Odysseus recognized the need for multiple life coaches. When he went to war, he left his son, Telemachus, with guidance from Mentor and Eumaeus, the foster son of Odysseus. The Goddess Athena had a habit of taking the form of Mentor, making him the more valuable of the two. Or maybe we just chose that name because it's easier to spell.

 

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Personal Branding: Some New Thoughts from the Net

Feb 10 2012 Published by under [LifeTrajectories]

Over a year ago I moderated a session for Science Online 2011 about personal branding. In an era of shrinking budgets for everything, even those of us in academia need to pay attention to our reputation. No job lasts forever. Leading up to the meeting I reviewed two books on the topic.

This week I received information about an upcoming seminar from Expert Visibility. The even will be run by Lorrie Marrero, an organization expert who has achieved fame and fortune. She presents a brief video that introduces the levels of audience and expertise in an interesting way. We all start out as students, with no authority or audience. Eventually we learn to implement our knowledge, with attendant increases in authority and audience. If we proceed further, we become educators.

Click for source (discussion of pet jellyfish)

At this point, we cross a line and enter "The Fishbowl." We become a Visible Authority with a much larger audience. If we push further, the result would be fame and celebrity.

The books I reviewed included Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand. This one targets folks from the Implementer to Visible Authority level in Marrero's schema. The other book, Fame 101: Powerful Personal Branding & Publicity for Amazing Success, clearly aims for those wanting to enter the Fishbowl and swim to Fame.

This brief video provides a framework to help people identify their branding goals. I wish I could attend her cut-price first conference, but, alas, I have to see patients that weekend.

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Am I Science? Yes, #IamScience

Jan 30 2012 Published by under Women in Medicine, Women in Science, [LifeTrajectories]

Compared to the other stories posting via this meme, I feel almost traditional.

I do not remember a time when science was not part of my life. I recall fondly reading and re-reading All About Dinosaurs. I had a tiny kit containing most of the minerals in Moh's scale. Mom refused to complete my set with her jewelry, so I had to imagine the upper levels of hardness. Biology clearly won my heart, though. How things could be alive fascinated me to no end.

Unlike many scientists, I was not the outdoorsy type. I read fashion magazines, did a bit of modeling, and entered some teen-queen pageants. I often joke that a hotel without 24-hour room service is my idea of camping. I love air conditioning and indoor plumbing; I fail to see how doing without these conveniences constitutes "fun." This quirk effectively ruled-out a career in paleontology or biological field work. I do love people. Having a father in academia, and coming of age during the 1970's PhD glut, teachers suggested aiming for an MD which guaranteed employment.

Click for source

Admission to medical school was fiercely competitive in that era, and I aimed my sights on a relatively new program at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. The medical curriculum began on day 1 out of high school and went 11 months each year for 6 years. Getting in meant avoiding the cut-throat competition among pre-med students on many campus. Its goal when pitched to the legislature was producing primary care physicians for under-served areas of Missouri, not academic physician-scientists. My second year there, I got a work-study job as a lab assistant for a fresh-out-of-post-doc carcinogenesis researcher needing cheap labor. This year provided my first experience with real science as I worked with the doctoral student and another lab to set up our efforts. Everyone, including this 19-year-old part-timer, needed to generate data. I learned to do short-term lymphocyte cultures, murine surgery, and a number of assays. The principal investigators of these labs strongly suggested that I figure out a way to pick up a PhD to go with my MD, since I loved the science so much.

The next few years brought more intensive courses and clinical work with overnight call, making meaningful lab time improbable if not impossible. I love science, but another kind of love intervened, along with a big princess wedding. By the time I graduated with my BA and MD, the idea of getting another advanced degree sounded exhausting and unnecessary. I headed off to pediatric residency with the intention of becoming a hematologist-oncologist, building on my background in carcinogenesis. Of course, I met a whole bunch of nephrologists and their patients who convinced me to take my talents elsewhere. After all, urine is golden!

My first 6 months of fellowship were a gray blur. Post-partum depression plus a prolonged period of call without a break left me feeling bleak. January in Minnesota is not exactly rosy, but I entered a lab and felt alive again. More than 100 patients with diabetes of various stages had kidney biopsy material stored for study. I began to ask questions about diabetic kidney disease, learning to do electron microscopy along the way. I published papers, completed my training, and landed a faculty position. National funding followed, along with a better position in Omaha, a great place to live and raise our offspring.

Eventually, my science hit the wall. One project just would not work, no matter what we tried. Another project got shot down by reviewer 3 at the same time the NIH budget tanked. I realized that I could not write a better grant than what I had submitted. The probability of getting the funding expected at my professional level was incredibly close to zero. Even efforts with smaller agencies to get funding for pilot data failed, as these foundations cut back support to established investigators during the recession.

The kids left the nest, and my hubby had an amazing job offer in a warmer town. We moved on last year, and I am turning my problem solving skills back to the clinic and to research in faculty development. I still have a grad student back in Nebraska (who is proving reviewer 3 wrong; take that!), and I love the chance to talk science on a regular basis. I do not miss the grant pressure or knowing that several other people will be out of a job if I fail.

Am I still science? When I see a patient, I gather data through a history and physical exam. I create a hypothesis as to what I believe is wrong, and I test that diagnosis through laboratory studies or treatment. If I am wrong, I go back, readjust my hypothetical diagnosis, and test again. Sounds like the scientific method to me.

I may not have a full-time lab. I may not be a funded PI. I still believe that I am science - with incredible fashion sense, of course.

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Habits to Ditch in 2012

Jan 05 2012 Published by under [Education&Careers]

It's Resolution time! Most of us pick some vaguely healthy habit to pick up (gym attendance) or drop (gorging on junk food).

Dorie Clark on the HBR Blog Network recommends 5 things to stop in the new year from a career perspective.

  1. Responding to email like a slot machine
  2. Mindless traditions
  3. Reading annoying things
  4. Work that's not worth it
  5. Making things more complicated than they should be

She gives some examples that illustrate these bad habits.

What else should be on the list?

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A Time for Every Purpose

Dec 14 2011 Published by under [Education&Careers]

Last week I got the bad news that I had to prepare a tenure package for my new job. While not as difficult as packing or selling a house, revising your CV is not an incentive to move. My new employer wants stuff organized differently than the prior university. I just spent 3 hours figuring out what goes where.

I'm not certain I have it right.

Yes, I could have handed this off to my assistant, but I suspect it would have taken even longer. If I have trouble knowing whether something is a "presentation" or a "continuing education contribution", I do not know that she would be able to parse these subtleties either.

I had some patient cancellations today, so I had the block of time to get it done. Now I just have to figure out which full professors in my department have tenure and can write letters. Maybe I have even met some of them!

It almost makes me wish the NIH Biosketch were a complete CV. Then we would have a national standard that everyone would follow. Reviewers would hate it, but I would have the last few hours of my life back.

Next up: I have to write my career narrative. All things considered, I'd rather be blogging!

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Don't Fix Me; Fix the Problem!!!

Nov 30 2011 Published by under Women in Medicine, Women in Science

Today's Little Pink Book explores leadership stereotypes:

“They’re always emotional. They’re great multi-taskers. They don’t promote other women.” Everyone from ourPINK bloggers to Anna Wintour is talking about stereotypes of female leaders.

Unfortunately, when such labels are applied, it can put women’s careers at risk.

“This doesn’t happen to every woman, but a greater percentage of women than men get stereotyped,” says Suzanna Bates, author of Discover Your CEO Brand.

“When this happens, the conversation becomes not how to promote them, but whether they can be ‘fixed.’” Research shows leadership is still seen as a predominantly masculine role, with women viewed as less qualified or natural in these positions.

The piece goes on with advice on how to "overcome" stereotypes:

Bates says female leaders are often labeled as “a bitch, too quiet or politically clueless.” Those in the first category may want to focus more on communicating and listening to employees’ ideas and thoughts.

"You can be results oriented and hold people accountable without leaving bodies in your wake,” she adds. More reserved leaders can take initiative to speak up and give ideas, even writing points down for a meeting beforehand.

We all, male and female, should be self-aware and able to modify our behavior when need be. Good colleagues use such feedback. However, this advice sounds suspiciously like "fixing" the woman's behavior, not correcting the stereotype!

I know the readers of this blog are smart and can help come up with real ways to combat stereotypes. Other than having a fairy godmother magically make the world free of gender-bias, what can be done? What sorts of small stuff would help on a daily basis? Let's find that low-hanging fruit and eat it!

 

 

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Career Advice: Starting with a WhizBANG!

Oct 25 2011 Published by under [Education&Careers]

Have you decided that a tenure tract position at an academic medical center is for you? How does one begin the quest for assistant professordom, especially with a clinical background? What do you need besides an interview-suit?

Must start blogging in a cloud of tulle and peacock feathers (Image courtesy of PhotoXpress)

Yours truly addresses these issues over at BioCareers. This article is the first in a series on academic medical-science job issues they have asked me to write.

The site includes a number of blog posts from those of us in, well, careers in the biological sciences. They also have job boards, and several Major Research Universities have integrated BioCareers into their own websites. It looks like a great resource for students exploring career paths, and I am delighted to be a contributor.

By the way, no one is paying me to write or promote the site. I am participating because:

  1. The site looks useful
  2. I love to write
  3. I enjoy the ego-boost of being a contributor.

So click on over to BioCareers. Click here to go directly to my post.

 

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Problem Defined, but Cause Unknown

Oct 19 2011 Published by under Women in Medicine, Women in Science

So last week I gathered in Chicago with a group of accomplished women who make me feel positively small. Such awesomeness rarely gathers in this large of a group; some of these women even wore snazzier shoes than I did.

We slogged through the work of Vision2020's Second Congress. We all agreed on major strategies for the five national goals, especially the need to communicate problems of inequality. We also agreed that, in many cases, we still need to understand the root causes of inequality. Why do women earn a mere 77 cents for every dollar a man gets, a pay gap that increases with educational level? Why do women leave the workplace before they achieve senior leadership positions?

Over at Academic Women for Equality Now,  I examined the "leaky" pipeline question today. There can no longer be a question that women leave corporate and academic worlds before retirement; the question now becomes the why. Three things have been suggested:

  1. Work-life balance makes mid-career women "choose" to step onto the mommy track, which may also be the elderly parent track
  2. As women evaluate themselves in middle life, they leave to follow their passions
  3. After years of subtle, perhaps unconscious, bias and a few bumps on the glass ceiling, women may take their toys to a sandbox they control

I am sure all of these influence women's choices. I am curious what you believe is the most important reason women leave their career path in mid life. Are there any other reasons they might choose to become a consultant or open a cupcake shop? What have we missed?

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