“ 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
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