Academic Medicine Strategy Podcast

National meetings are one of the fastest ways to build a national reputation — but only if you approach them with a strategy. Showing up is not enough.

In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman walks through how to use academic conferences as a career-building tool, not just a CE credit opportunity. She shares how she navigated early career introversion to build meaningful relationships with thought leaders, program committee members, and future collaborators.

Topics covered:

–  How to identify and connect with program committee members before you're ready to ask for anything

–  Why Q&A sessions are a legitimate visibility strategy

–  The case for attending social events even when it's uncomfortable

–  Abstract and panel deadlines: building a calendar that keeps you on track

–  Moderating as an entry point to the program

–  How to approach a conference as a system, not a series of sessions

This is Episode 2 of 6 in The AMedSG National Reputation Series.

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This episode is part of The AMedSG National Reputation Series, a six-episode collection on building the career infrastructure that gets academic physicians recognized and promoted. New AMedSG episodes return in October. Follow the podcast so you don't miss it.

Before you get on the program, before you network strategically, before you build your research plan — you need to know what you're known for. Or more precisely, what you want to be known for.

In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman walks through the process of identifying and committing to your one word: the niche, focus area, or phrase that will anchor your publications, presentations, and national reputation. She shares how diffuse collaboration early in her own career made it hard for others to understand where to place her — and the advice from a mentor that changed her approach entirely.

Topics covered:

–  Why a scattered publication record works against you even when the work is good

–  How to identify the one word or phrase that should appear in everything you do

–  Using your publication record and web presence as a diagnostic tool

–  When and how to say no to off-topic requests

–  How to creatively bridge collaborations back to your primary story

–  Working with mentors and sponsors to reinforce your focus area

This is Episode 1 of 6 in The AMedSG National Reputation Series.

— — —

This episode is part of The AMedSG National Reputation Series, a six-episode collection on building the career infrastructure that gets academic physicians recognized and promoted. New AMedSG episodes return in October. Follow the podcast so you don't miss it.

What does it take to build a professional identity that supports both career growth and a meaningful academic career? In this episode, Dr. Chris McMains discusses professional identity formation, belonging, career transitions, and why early-career physicians need more than a list of accomplishments to thrive.

If you’re interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

New faculty members face a flood of roles and expectations while trying to figure out where they fit, where they are going, and whether they belong.

An intrinsic sense of belonging—knowing you are valued regardless of what you produce—can influence creativity, wellbeing, and the ability to thrive.

Physicians hold multiple identities: clinician, educator, researcher, leader, mentor, and more. Integrating these professional and personal identities can create greater energy and meaning.

Leaders play an important role in creating environments where faculty feel valued and supported. Belonging requires deliberate cultural signals, not just individual effort.

As physicians move through their careers, some roles and identities need to be released while others are preserved or reshaped. Dr. McMains uses the metaphor of a “controlled burn” to describe this process.

Even positive career changes can involve loss and a period of uncertainty. Recognizing this “liminal space” can help physicians move through transitions rather than rushing past the discomfort.

Early-career physicians are often told to say yes to every opportunity. Instead, faculty and leaders should identify work that aligns with an individual's interests, strengths, and sense of purpose.

Dr. McMains’ work focuses on professional identity formation and helping physicians and leaders better understand the identity transitions that happen throughout an academic career.

To learn more about his work and resources, visit attendingtoself.com.

Professional identity formation is not a one-time event—it is an ongoing process that changes as academic physicians take on new roles, release old ones, and navigate career transitions. For early-career physicians, the goal is not simply to accumulate accomplishments, but to deliberately build a career in which your work, values, identities, and sense of belonging reinforce one another.

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Time management is one of the most common challenges physicians face, especially when balancing clinical responsibilities with research, education, leadership, promotion, and life outside of work. In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman explains why effective time management is not about doing more—it is about creating systems, finding the right method, and intentionally protecting what matters most.

No need to take notes—visit the blog for a full summary of key insights.

If you’re interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

Key Points:

00:00 — Why Time Management Is a Career Challenge
Time management consistently comes up in coaching and faculty development because physicians are trying to balance competing professional priorities without sacrificing the things that matter outside of work.

02:00 — You Make Time—You Don’t Find It
Many priorities are shaped by other people’s agendas, including emails, EMR messages, and unexpected requests. Creating progress requires intentionally deciding what deserves space on your calendar.

03:00 — Time Management Changes at Every Career Stage
The strategies that work during fellowship or early faculty years may not work later. As responsibilities evolve, physicians need to reassess and redesign their systems.

04:00 — Protect Time for the Career You Want
Clinical work will grow, but research, education, administration, and other meaningful areas may require deliberate protection. Early-career physicians should make room for the work they want to build—not only the work that arrives first.

06:00 — Find a Method That Matches How You Work
A stalled manuscript, grant, promotion packet, or project may not be a time problem. It may be a method problem. Finding an approach that fits how you think and work can make progress feel more achievable.

08:00 — Use Small, Unclaimed Blocks of Time
Dr. Ishman shares how she used commuting time and short periods between commitments to speak the first draft of her book. Small, intentional blocks can create meaningful momentum without taking time away from work or family.

12:00 — Systems Beat Willpower
Scheduling a specific task during a specific window reduces the need to rely on motivation. A clear system can help physicians make progress while remaining present for family and other priorities.

13:00 — Choose One Priority and Start
Overwhelm often happens when every task feels equally important. Identify one high-priority item, focus on the next step, and build momentum from there.

Summary:

Time management is not a one-time productivity solution. It is an ongoing career skill that must be reassessed as responsibilities change. For early-career physicians, the goal is not to fit more into every day—it is to create systems that protect meaningful work, support long-term career goals, and help prevent the demands of academic medicine from taking over every available hour.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform.

If you are interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

● DM me on Instagram at @sishmancoach
● Email me at [email protected]
● Contact me at the website at www.amedsg.com

What makes a great medical school isn't just an innovative curriculum—it's faculty who know how to help learners grow. In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman sits down with Dr. David Battinelli, Executive Vice President, Physician-in-Chief of Northwell Health, and Dean of the Zucker School of Medicine, to discuss why faculty development is the foundation of educational excellence and how academic leaders can build systems that prepare physicians for decades of practice, not just graduation.

Dr. Battinelli is a founding member of the Zucker School of Medicine and previously served as vice dean, dean for medical education, and chair of the committee responsible for developing the medical school's curriculum. He is also the co-author of Revolutionizing Medical Education: Proven Blueprint to Transform Curricula and Prepare Future-Ready Physicians, a book that explores how medical schools can reimagine curricula and physician training to better prepare physicians for the future of medicine.

If you're interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

00:01 | Building a Medical School from the Ground Up
Dr. Battinelli shares why creating a brand-new medical school gave his team the opportunity to rethink traditional medical education and implement changes that many established institutions struggled to adopt.

03:00 | Faculty Development Drives Educational Innovation
Curriculum alone doesn't transform learners. Faculty must be equipped with modern teaching, coaching, and facilitation skills that match how today's physicians actually learn.

08:20 | Continuity Creates Better Teachers—and Better Physicians
Rather than rotating through countless supervisors, students benefit from long-term relationships with faculty who can mentor, coach, and gradually increase responsibility over time.

11:30 | Preparing Faculty for 30-Year Careers
Medical knowledge evolves continuously. Great institutions don't just onboard faculty—they build systems that help physicians adapt, grow, and continue learning throughout their careers.

14:00 | Keep Faculty Connected to Teaching
One of the best ways to develop physicians is to keep them engaged in education. Teaching reinforces clinical excellence, strengthens professional purpose, and helps faculty continue growing alongside learners.

17:45 | The Future of Academic Medicine
Dr. Battinelli discusses how AI, connected care, and new models of patient engagement will reshape medicine—and why institutions must prepare both faculty and trainees for a very different future than the one they inherited.

Academic medicine changes when faculty change. While curriculum reform often receives the attention, this conversation highlights that sustained excellence comes from developing educators, building meaningful mentoring relationships, and creating systems that help physicians continue growing throughout their careers. For early-career academic physicians, investing in your development as both a clinician and an educator will shape your long-term impact far more than any single promotion or title.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform.

If you're interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

DM me on Instagram at @sishmancoach
Email me at [email protected]
Contact me through the website at www.amedsg.com

What does it take to build an academic career that is both successful and sustainable? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman sits down with pediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Pamela Mudd to discuss how finding your niche, leading with intention, and learning to say no can transform your career trajectory. Their conversation offers practical lessons for early-career faculty who want to build careers they are proud of—not careers they simply inherit.

If you're interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

Dr. Mudd shares how following her clinical interests evolved into a focused academic niche built around solving meaningful problems rather than simply pursuing opportunities.

Learn why developing expertise in a specific area helps establish your academic identity, creates opportunities for collaboration, and reduces burnout as your career grows.

Leadership begins with understanding the systems around you. Dr. Mudd explains how shifting from micromanaging people to improving processes changed both her leadership style and her team's effectiveness.

After a major life transition, Dr. Mudd realized she had inherited a career built from years of saying yes. Coaching helped her step back, redefine her priorities, and intentionally redesign her professional life.

Your calendar should evolve as your career evolves. Learn how eliminating responsibilities that no longer fit can create opportunities for greater impact, renewed energy, and leadership development for others.

Discover practical strategies for protecting time for deep work, making more intentional decisions, and using AI thoughtfully to reduce administrative burden and improve communication.

Drs. Mudd and Ishman discuss the unique role of coaching, how it differs from mentorship and therapy, and why having an objective partner outside your institution can accelerate career growth and promotion.

Great academic careers rarely happen by accident. They are built through intentional decisions about where to invest your time, energy, and talents. Whether you're establishing your niche, preparing for promotion, or learning to lead, creating space to reflect and design your career will help you build a professional life that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform. 

If you are interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman sits down with physician-scientist, former dean, and national academic medicine leader Joe Kerschner to discuss mentorship, faculty development, retention, burnout, and the future of academic medicine. Their conversation offers practical insights for early-career physicians seeking to build meaningful careers while avoiding common pitfalls that derail promotion and professional fulfillment.

If you’re interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

Key Points:

Effective mentors don't simply say yes to everyone. They protect their time, invest real thought into mentoring relationships, and create meaningful opportunities for mentees to grow.

Organizations improve retention when they invest in faculty development infrastructure, executive coaching, and training leaders to become skilled mentors themselves.

Faculty arrive with different backgrounds, goals, and challenges. Successful development programs recognize these differences and provide individualized support.

Investing in faculty growth is not a luxury—it's a business imperative. Strong development programs improve retention, leadership readiness, and long-term institutional success.

Academic medicine offers multiple pathways for fulfillment through patient care, teaching, research, and community engagement. Understanding what drives you is critical for career satisfaction.

The culture of medicine often rewards taking on more responsibilities, but cumulative demands eventually lead to burnout. Leaders must recognize limits and reduce unnecessary burdens.

Career advancement comes from prioritizing a small number of meaningful goals rather than trying to do everything. Excellence requires intentional focus and mentorship-guided direction.

Summary:

Academic medicine remains an extraordinary career path, but success requires more than hard work alone. Mentorship, strategic focus, individualized development, and alignment with your core motivations are what separate thriving faculty from those who become overwhelmed or leave academia altogether. Early-career physicians who invest in these foundations can build sustainable careers with greater impact and fulfillment.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform.

If you are interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

● DM me on Instagram at @sishmancoach
● Email me at [email protected]
● Contact me at the website at www.amedsg.com

Why do some faculty reach associate professor in four years while others take seven? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman explores the strategic decisions that consistently separate those who advance more quickly. If you're in your first decade of academic medicine, this conversation will help you focus your limited time on the work that truly moves your career forward.

No need to take notes—visit the blog for a full summary of key insights.

If you're interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

00:00 – Promotion Is About Strategy, Not More Hours
Faculty who advance more quickly aren't necessarily working harder. They're making more intentional decisions about where they invest their time.

02:00 – Not All Work Contributes Equally to Promotion
Learn how to distinguish between activities that build your promotion case and those that simply fill your schedule.

03:00 – Protect Your Time for Work That Compounds
Successful faculty deliberately prioritize scholarship and decline commitments that don't support their long-term academic goals.

04:00 – Build a Clear Academic Niche
Promotion committees recognize faculty with a consistent area of expertise. A focused professional identity strengthens your reputation and career trajectory.

05:00 – Audit Your Career Strategy
Dr. Ishman shares practical exercises to evaluate your current commitments, identify your niche, and begin saying no strategically.

07:00 – Align Today's Decisions with Tomorrow's CV
Every "yes" shapes your future promotion packet. Learn how to ensure your current work reflects the career you want to build.

Advancing more quickly in academic medicine isn't about squeezing more work into your week. It's about consistently investing your time in opportunities that reinforce your academic identity, strengthen your scholarship, and support your promotion goals. Small strategic decisions, repeated over time, create meaningful career acceleration.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.

If you're interested in getting in touch or have suggestions for future episodes:

Faculty turnover is one of the most expensive and preventable challenges facing academic medicine today. In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman explores the true cost of losing faculty, why traditional retention efforts often fall short, and how intentional career development can dramatically improve retention, engagement, and productivity.

No need to take notes—visit the blog for a full summary of key insights.

If you’re interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

Key Points

[00:00] The Real Cost of Faculty Turnover
Losing a faculty member costs far more than salary replacement. Recruiting, onboarding, lost productivity, and cultural disruption can easily total $500,000 or more per departure.

[01:00] Why Faculty Actually Leave
Most faculty do not leave because they dislike medicine. They leave because they feel overwhelmed, unsupported, and stuck in reactive career decision-making.

[02:30] Breaking Down the Financial Impact
Turnover costs include recruiting expenses, onboarding time, loss of institutional knowledge, and increased workload on remaining faculty members.

[04:00] A Personal Story of Career Misalignment
Dr. Ishman shares her own experience of professional success that lacked intentional direction—and how that ultimately led her to leave a faculty position.

[05:20] The Power of Intentional Career Design
When faculty develop a clear vision for their careers, satisfaction improves, burnout decreases, and retention becomes far more likely.

[05:45] How the Faculty Excellence and Retention Initiative (FERI) Works
FERI combines executive coaching, faculty development, promotion planning, and individualized career strategy to help faculty build careers they want to stay in.

[07:15] Why FERI Delivers a Strong Return on Investment
The cost of supporting faculty through intentional development is only a fraction of the cost of turnover, while also improving productivity, engagement, promotion success, and departmental culture.

Summary

The most effective retention strategy is not simply offering more opportunities or incentives—it is helping faculty build intentional, fulfilling careers. When physicians gain clarity about their goals and align their work with their values, they are more engaged, more productive, and far more likely to stay. Investing in faculty development isn't just good for faculty; it's one of the smartest financial decisions an institution can make.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform.

If you are interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

● DM me on Instagram at @sishmancoach
● Email me at [email protected]
● Contact me at the website at www.amedsg.com

Many early-career faculty assume promotion committees evaluate activity, productivity, and accomplishments at face value. In this episode, Dr. Stacey Ishman explains why promotion decisions are often based on something far more important: whether your work tells a coherent story that demonstrates academic impact, visibility, and growing reputation.

No need to take notes—visit the blog for a full summary of key insights.

If you're interested in working with Academic Medicine Strategy Group, visit www.amedsg.com to learn more about our programs designed to help you build a clear, strategic path to promotion, research, and career advancement.

Key Points

[00:00] Promotion Committees Evaluate More Than Your CV
Promotion committees are not simply counting publications, committees, or teaching evaluations. They are assessing whether your work demonstrates readiness for advancement and contributes to the institution's reputation.

[00:01] Why Promotion Criteria Leave Room for Interpretation
Many promotion policies include terms like "regional reputation," "national reputation," or "sustained impact," but these concepts are often interpreted differently across institutions and committees.

[00:02] Coherence Matters More Than Volume
A focused body of work in a well-defined niche is often more compelling than a larger number of disconnected projects, publications, or activities.

[00:03] What Research Shows About Successful Promotion
Factors associated with promotion include identifying a career mentor, dedicating meaningful effort to scholarship, and having regular conversations with leaders about promotion goals.

[00:04] The Narrative Problem in Academic Promotion
Faculty often assume their accomplishments will speak for themselves. In reality, committees are looking for a clear academic identity and a convincing story about your contributions and impact.

[00:05] Building a Reputation Through Intentional Choices
Committee service, presentations, publications, and professional involvement should reinforce your area of expertise and strengthen your visibility within a specific domain.

[00:06] Why Institutional Guidance Matters
Promotion success depends heavily on understanding how your local promotion committee interprets criteria. Informal expectations often matter as much as written policies.

[00:07] Three Actions to Take This Week
Talk with recently promoted faculty, review your institution's promotion criteria, and evaluate your CV as a narrative rather than a list of accomplishments.

Summary

Promotion committees are not evaluating how busy you are—they are evaluating whether your work demonstrates a coherent academic identity and a trajectory of growing impact. Early-career physicians who intentionally align their scholarship, service, leadership activities, and professional visibility around a clear niche are more likely to build the reputation and narrative that promotion committees recognize and reward.

Please RATE, REVIEW, and FOLLOW the Academic Medicine Strategy Group Podcast on your favorite platform.

If you are interested in getting in touch with us or providing topic suggestions, please:

● DM me on Instagram at @sishmancoach
● Email me at [email protected]
● Contact me at the website at www.amedsg.com