“ There are two things I think all trainees should know : Learn to write and ask for help . Writing is so important in academic medicine , yet , when we complete our fellowship training , while everyone knows how to take care of patients , few know how to write well . I tell young trainees : ‘ Make yourself write something every day , until it becomes second nature .’ You could have the best idea in the world , but you have to be able to present your ideas so that other people can understand and appreciate their importance . A well-written grant proposal could mean the difference between your great idea being funded or just remaining a great idea .
I also see that young people don ’ t ask for help because they are afraid of criticism – criticism of their ideas , their approach , their writing . They spend so much time trying to get everything perfect before they run things by their friends and mentors , that they lose valuable time . All I can say is , ‘ Get over it !’ Better to get criticism early from friendly advisors than from grant or manuscript reviewers !”
Mary Horowitz , MD , MS , Robert A . Uihlein Jr . Chair in hematologic research and professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , Wisconsin
“ Be realistic with yourself in your career objectives . Don ’ t force yourself into a particular direction ; ask yourself what you like to do , what you are good at , and – first of all – follow your heart . At least , that ’ s what I have tried to do .
It ’ s important to enjoy your career , but it is also important to understand what your strengths and weaknesses are . When you are younger , you have to make difficult choices , but once you make that choice , don ’ t look back . Just go for it .”
Bob Löwenberg , MD , PhD , professor of hematology at Erasmus University Medical
Center in Rotterdam , the Netherlands , and the Editor-in-Chief of Blood
“ Whatever it is you decide to do at the end of your training period – whether that ’ s three years or five years – you should come out on the other side as a world expert in that . Focus and dedicate yourself to that . My own view is that , while intelligence is needed , it is also highly overrated . I believe that whatever success you have in your career comes from hard work and dedication , as well as a little bit of good luck . Much of that has to do with the mentorship you receive early in your career .”
David A . Williams , MD , president of the Dana-Farber / Boston Children ’ s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and the Leland Fikes Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School , Boston , Massachusetts ; immediate past president of the
American Society of Hematology
“ Young scientists [ need ] to be patient . Many young scientists want to have an immediate impact on medicine or scientific literature – and rightly so . However , they will have their whole career to pursue that lofty goal . I would encourage young scientists to spend time selfishly outfitting their toolbox with every concept and experimental method that could someday be relevant toward a translational impact . And that will take time .”
James E . Bradner , MD , president of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research , Cambridge , Massachusetts , and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School
“ Like any other career , the only way to succeed in the academic field is through hard work and persistence . It ’ s not unlike doing well in baseball : If you bat . 300 , you ’ re going to the Hall of Fame , but if you bat . 200 , you ’ re out of a job . In academia , most ideas are going to be wrong , and , even if they are right , they don ’ t work in the lab . So , perseverance and hard work are essential – as is handling those failures . Everyone deals with success
well ; how you deal with failure is a lot more important . Of course , that ’ s a lot easier to do if you think what you are doing is fun , interesting , and has purpose .”
Jerald Radich , MD , principal investigator of the Radich Lab in the clinical research division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , Seattle , Washington
“ Find your passion and pursue it . At the same time , though , be logical about that passion – but don ’ t put it completely aside . Keep working at something that you love , and try to remain passionate about it . That ’ s not so easy to do in our field , where we must deal with sad outcomes quite frequently , but it ’ s essential . Also , stay open to new ideas and new opportunities . Sometimes , incredible things come up that completely change the way you think about things , just through purely serendipitous coincidences .
Do all these things , but also try to make time for yourself , if you can .”
Wendy Stock , MD , professor of medicine in hematology / oncology and director of the Leukemia Program at University of Chicago , Chicago ,
Illinois
“ It seems like stress levels have escalated since I was a trainee – or maybe I have just blocked out those memories . The landscape seems to have become more competitive , with more challenges to finding suitable academic positions or acquiring grants . Everyone seems to be concerned about how his or her entire future will unfold , which only adds to the stress level . So , my main advice would be to take a step back and focus on the present . While it ’ s important to have long-term goals , it ’ s impossible to see your whole future from where you ’ re standing . Think about what you can accomplish today and the future will unfold from there .”
Laurie Sehn , MD , medical oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia , Canada
September 2016 3
“There are two things I think
all trainees should know:
Learn to write and ask for
help. Writing is so important
in academic medicine, yet,
when we complete our fellowship training,
while everyone knows how to take care of
patients, few know how to write well. I tell
young trainees: ‘Make yourself write something every day, until it becomes second
nature.’ You could have the best idea in the
world, but you have to be able to present
your ideas so that other people can understand and appreciate their importance. A
well-written grant proposal could mean the
difference between your great idea being
funded or just remaining a great idea.
I also see that young people don’t ask
for help because they are afraid of criticism
– criticism of their ideas, their approach,
their writing. They spend so much time
trying to get everything perfect before they
run things by their friends and mentors,
that they lose valuable time. All I can say
is, ‘Get over it!’ Better to get criticism early
from friendly advisors than from grant or
manuscript reviewers!”
Mary Horowitz, MD, MS, Robert A. Uihlein Jr.
Chair in hematologic research and professor of
me X�[�H[��YY�وH]�\�[ۈو[X]���H[�ۘ����H]HYYX�[��Y�Hق��\��ۜ�[�Z[�]Z�YK�\��ۜ�[����'�H�X[\�X��][�\��[�[��[�\��\�Y\�ؚ�X�]�\ˈ۸�&]��ܘ�H[�\��[�[��H\�X�[\�\�X�[ێ�\��[�\��[���][�HZ�H���][�B�\�H���][�8�$��\��و[8�$�����[�\��X\��]X\�]8�&\��]H]�H�YY�˂�]8�&\�[\ܝ[��[���H[�\��\�Y\��]]�\�[��[\ܝ[��[�\��[��][�\����[���[��XZۙ\��\�\�K��[�[�H\�B�[�[��\�[�H]�H�XZ�HY��X�[��X�\���]ۘ�H[�HXZ�H]��X�K۸�&]���X�ˈ�\����܈]��'B��؈0��[��\��Q�ٙ\��܈ق�[X]���H]\�\�]\�[�]�\��]HYYX�[��[�\�[���\�[KH�]\�[��[�B�Y]܋Z[�P�YY�و������'�]]�\�]\�[�HX�YH�]H[�و[�\��Z[�[�\�[�8�$��]\�]8�&\��YB�YX\��܈�]�HYX\��8�$�[�B���[��YH�]ۈH�\���YH\�H�ܛ^\�[�]����\�[��YX�]H[�\��[��]�^H�ۈ�Y]�\]�[H[�[Y�[��H\��YYY]\�[�Y�Hݙ\��]Y�H�[Y]�H]�]]�\���X��\��[�H]�H[�[�\��\�Y\���Y\����B�\��ܚ�[�YX�][ۋ\��[\�H]B��]و���X�ˈ]X�و]\���]HY[�ܜ�\[�H�X�Z]�HX\�H[��[�\��\�Y\���'B�]�YK��[X[\�Q�\�Y[�وH[�KQ�\��\�Л��ۈ�[�[��&\��[��\�[�����\�ܙ\���[�\�[�H[[��Z�\��ٙ\��܂�وYX]�X��]\��\�YYX�[�������ۋ�X\��X�\�]��[[YYX]H\��\�Y[�وB�[Y\�X�[����Y]Hو[X]���B���'[�[����Y[�\��ۙYYH��B�]Y[��X[�H[�[����Y[�\��[��]�H[�[[YYX]B�[\X�ۈYYX�[�H܈��Y[�Y�X�]\�]\�H8�$�[��Y�H�˂���]�\�^H�[]�HZ\���H�\�Y\���\��YH]ٝH��[�H��[[���\�Y�B�[�[����Y[�\����[�[YH�[�\�H�]�][��Z\������]]�\�H�ۘ�\[��^\�[Y[�[Y]�]��[��YY^B��H�[]�[���\�H�[��][ۘ[[\X���[�]�[Z�H[YK��'B��[Y\�K���Y�\�Q�\�Y[�وH�ݘ\�\[��]]\��܈�[�YYX�[�\�X\���[X��Y�K�X\��X�\�]�[�\����X]H�ٙ\��܈وYYX�[�H]\��\�YYX�[�������'Z�H[�H�\��\�Y\�B�ۛH�^H��X��YY[�B�X�Y[ZX��Y[\���Y��\��ܚ�[�\��\�[��K��]8�&\���[�Z�H�[���[[���\�X�[�Y�[�H�]��[�x�&\�H��[���B�[و�[YK�]Y�[�H�]��[�x�&\�H�]�وH�؋�[�X�Y[ZXK[��YX\�\�H��[���Hܛۙ�[�]�[�Y�^H\�H�Y��^H۸�&]�ܚ�[�HX����\��]�\�[��B�[�\��ܚ�\�H\��[�X[8�$�\�\�[�[���H�Z[\�\ˈ]�\�[ۙHX[��]�X��\���[���[�HX[�]�Z[\�H\�H�[ܙB�[\ܝ[��و��\��K]8�&\�H�X\�Y\��Y�[�H[���][�H\�H�[��\��[��[�\�\�[��[�\�\���K��'B��\�[�YX�Q�[��\[[��\�Y�]܈ق�H�YX�X�[�H�[�X�[�\�X\��]�\�[ۂ�]��Y]�[��ۈ�[��\��\�X\���[�\���X]K�\�[��ۂ���'�[�[�\�\��[ۈ[�\��YB�]�]H�[YH[YK�Y���H��X�[X��]]\��[ۂ��$��]۸�&]]]��\][H\�YK��Y\�ܚ�[��]���Y][��][�HݙK[��H��[XZ[��\��[ۘ]HX��]]�]8�&\�����X\�H�[��\��Y[�\�H�H]\�X[�]�Y��]��Y\�]Z]H��\]Y[�K�]]8�&\�\��[�X[�[���^H�[���]�YX\�[��]�ܝ[�]Y\ˈ��Y][Y\�[�ܙYX�H[����YH\]��\][H�[��HH�^B�[�H[��X��][����\���Y�\�[B��\�[�\]�\���[��Y[��\˂��[\�H[����][���H�XZ�B�[YH�܈[�\��[�Y�[�H�[���'B��[�H����Q�ٙ\��܈وYYX�[�H[��[X]���K�ۘ����H[�\�X�܈وH]Z�[ZXH��ܘ[H][�]�\��]Hو�X�Y���X�Y���[[��\��']�Y[\�Z�H��\��]�[�]�B�\��[]Y�[��HH�\�H�Z[�YB��$�܈X^X�HH]�H�\�����Y��]��HY[[ܚY\ˈH[���\H�Y[\��]�H�X��YB�[ܙH��\]]]�K�][ܙH�[[��\��[�[���Z]X�HX�Y[ZX���][ۜ�܈X�]Z\�[��ܘ[�ˈ]�\�[ۙH�Y[\���H�ۘ�\��Y�X��]��\�܈\�[�\�H�]\�H�[[�����X�ۛHY��H��\��]�[���^B�XZ[�Y�X�H��[�H�Z�HH�\�X��[�����\�ۈH�\�[���[H]8�&\�[\ܝ[�]�Hۙ�]\�H��[�]8�&\�[\���X�H��YB�[�\���H�]\�H���H�\�H[�x�&\�H�[�[�˂�[��X��]�][�H�[�X���\\��^B�[�H�]\�H�[[������H\�K��'B�]\�YH�Z�QYYX�[ۘ����\�]H��[��\�Y�[��H[��[�X�[\����X]H�ٙ\��܈]�H[�]�\��]Hو��]\���[X�XK�[�YB���\[X�\��M����