In this episode of the SMFM Podcast Series, Dr. Rachel Harrison is joined by Dr. Minhazur Sarker to discuss one of the most common challenges in academic medicine: turning research into a completed manuscript. Despite the time and effort invested in research, a significant portion of work presented at conferences never reaches publication, limiting its impact on clinical care and future studies.

Dr. Sarker shares an innovative, practical approach to overcoming this barrier through the "gamification" of manuscript writing. By breaking the writing process into smaller, trackable steps, this method helps reduce overwhelm, improve accountability, and support steady progress toward completion.

Together, they explore key barriers to manuscript completion, strategies for developing strong research questions, and practical ways mentors and trainees can work together to move projects from presentation to publication.

This episode offers actionable insights for maternal-fetal medicine fellows, trainees, and practicing clinicians looking to enhance research productivity and successfully disseminate their work.

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Approaching the Blank Document