The topic of belonging and why it is so crucial to a healthy and high-functioning work environment within academic medicine is explored this week on the Faculty Factory Podcast with our esteemed return guest, Rakhee K. Bhayani, MD.

Dr. Bhayani first joined our program in April 2022 for an episode covering career changes/pivots, identifying your purpose, and stepping outside of your comfort zone. You can revisit that discussion here: https://facultyfactory.org/rakhee-bhayani.

She serves as Professor of Medicine and is the Vice Chair for Advancing Women’s Careers in the Division of General Medicine and Geriatrics in the Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"If we come to work and we have to specifically hide a part of who we are, that's mental energy and a tax that we're taking away from the work that we're doing,” she said.

We welcome her back with open arms this week for an important and timely conversation on belonging’s role in academic medicine and workplace culture.

"Our goal is to help others feel comfortable and have that sense of safety, allowing them to bring their whole selves to work. This way, they can focus their energy on their work rather than expending mental energy on censoring parts of themselves to feel valued,” she added.

Keep The Conversation Going

Are you new to our show? Here are some similar Faculty Factory Podcasts to explore:

You can also find the full back catalog of the Faculty Factory Podcast here.  For feedback, questions, comments, and more information on how you can join the Faculty Factory as a guest, please visit our contact us homepage.

Claudia Hilton, PhD, MBA, OTR, FAOTA, makes her debut on the Faculty Factory Podcast this week, sharing her journey into systematic reviews and emphasizing the value they provide in promoting critical thinking and research skills among students, learners, and early-career faculty.

Dr. Hilton serves as Professor and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Health Professions in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Despite facing skepticism from peers about the practicality of systematic reviews with students, her persistence has led to the successful and innovative implementation of this approach over the years at UTMB.

"I have had naysayers tell me that you can't do systematic reviews with students. However, we have already published about 20 of them. So I say, yes, we can, but there are certain things you need to consider to make it successful," Dr. Hilton said.

Through Dr. Hilton's enthusiasm we celebrate the use of systematic reviews amongst learners in academia! We encourage listeners to consider integrating similar collaborative approaches in their own institutions. You can email Dr. Hilton to learn more: [email protected].

Visit Faculty Factory's homepage: https://facultyfactory.org/ 

Too often, poor leadership in academic medicine drives people apart rather than connecting them. With that in mind, we invite Nausheen Jamal, MD, MBA, to our Faculty Factory Podcast this week to share pearls of wisdom from her own experience in building a leadership strategy aimed at bringing people together.

Dr. Jamal currently serves as Professor & Harry Carothers Wiess Chair in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas.

By specializing in the treatment of voice, swallowing, and airway disorders, Dr. Jamal addresses issues that hinder full communication. This makes it feel as though things are truly coming full circle as she shares insights on building community and connections in this chat.  

We hope you learn from her story to gain insights that help you see beyond what is in front of you and achieve great satisfaction in your own future career journey. Other important dynamics we explore in this interview include:

“What I learned is that I have to adjust my approach to change according to the culture that is going to have to endure or undergo that change," Dr. Jamal said candidly in this interview.

Learn more: https://facultyfactory.org/ 

Eva Feldman, MD, PhD, joins us this week to examine recent research on individuals in academic medicine who felt unprepared for leadership responsibilities, and she helps us explore ways to better prepare faculty for success in those positions.

With Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Dr. Feldman is the James W. Albers Distinguished University Professor and Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology. She also serves as Professor of Neurosurgery and is the Director of the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies and the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine.

“I would say that my main takeaway is this: if you are a mid-level professional aspiring to a leadership position, seek a mentor and sponsor immediately, and ensure you are trained to be ready for that role,” Dr. Feldman told us.

The article she co-authored, titled “Leadership Experiences and Perceptions of Mid-Career to Senior Clinician-Scientists: A Qualitative Exploration,” highlighted key leadership challenges and opportunities that we explore in-depth with Dr. Feldman in this interview.

You can learn more about the report here: https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/abstract/9900/leadership_experiences_and_perceptions_of.877.aspx?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=amexpress&utm_content=newsletter

You can also visit FacultyFactory.org here: https://facultyfactory.org/

The path toward finding a deeper meaning in providing patient care within academic medicine and the intangibles that make us human, such as vulnerability, passion, and post-traumatic growth, is explored in this week’s edition of the Faculty Factory episode with our guest, Nicole Piemonte, PhD.

Dr. Piemonte serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty Leadership and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medical Humanities at Creighton University School of Medicine-Phoenix in Arizona. She is also an author and a Certified Healthcare Leadership Coach.

Through her own experiences with end-of-life care, coupled with her background in medical humanities, Dr. Piemonte shares her perspective on the ongoing challenges of how clinicians can engage authentically with vulnerability.

Learn More: https://facultyfactory.org/nicole-piemonte 

The Faculty Factory Podcast invites first-time guest, Adam Wolfe, MD, PhD, to our show this week. He is the co-author of the article, “Put Yourself out There! A Strategy for Effective Self-Promotion in Academic Medicine,” which we examine in detail during this interview.

“When it comes to non-clinical teaching, I really gravitate toward things like communication skills, breaking bad news, conflict resolution and self-promotion because those are things that I think are absent in a lot of formative curricula.” he said.

Dr. Wolfe is the Interim Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at CHRISTUS Children’s, affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine in San Antonio, and is also the Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Program. Additionally, he serves as the Assistant Dean of Medical Education and holds the Jann L. Harrison Endowed Chair in Pediatric Graduate Medical Education.

More about his article: “Put Yourself out There! A Strategy for Effective Self-Promotion in Academic Medicine”:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11219085/ 

For feedback, questions, or comments, you can also visit the Faculty Factory website: https://facultyfactory.org/ 

According to our guest on this week’s episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast, John Heymann, MD, every academic medicine professional can bet big on two things: compassion and understanding.

Dr. Heymann is a neuroradiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, where he serves as an Associate Professor in Radiology, as well as the Director of Residency Programs and Vice Chair of Clinical Operations.

“Being angry all the time is not conducive to longevity, and I think a lot of that comes from misunderstanding other people and their mind states. Therefore, it’s important to be mindful and practice compassion,” Dr. Heymann said.

It truly might be time to double down on compassion. Understanding is at the core of compassion, as we learn in this discussion, and both elements are necessary for compassion to manifest.

The bottom line is that how we interact with one another and recognize each other's challenges is an essential part of our mental health and well-being.

Visit the Faculty Factory website for more resources:  https://facultyfactory.org/

The journey to attain and hold on to wellness and joy, as it pertains to the rich opportunities and sacrifices of a career in academic medicine, is brought to the forefront in this week’s edition of the Faculty Factory Podcast with our guest, Michelle Moore, PsyD, ABPP.

Dr. Moore is an Associate Professor with a dual appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where she also serves as Chief of Psychology and Director of Faculty Development for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Her personal experiences in striving for sustainable wellness and overcoming obstacles are outlined in her recently published memoir, "Sustainable Wellness: A Memoir of Loss, Perseverance, and Resilience," which you can learn more about on Amazon.

You can also reach her directly at [email protected].

Join us for today’s engaging episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast, featuring our returning guest, Brian Clyne, MD, MHL. In this episode, we explore key guidance for early-career physicians and faculty in academic medicine through the lens of a coach.

Dr. Clyne is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University where he also serves as Vice Chair for Education.

It is often a complex journey we face when transitioning from medical training to clinical practice, with some of those unique challenges explored throughout this conversation.

Coaching, Self-Awareness, Values, and Goals                                                                                                

Dr. Clyne highlighted a significant trend in the opening moments of the interview: an increasing number of early-career physicians are turning to coaching to navigate feelings of uncertainty and redefine their professional identities outside the structured milestones of medical education.

This reflects the confusion many feel as they shift from a system with clear guidance to one where they must carve their own paths and establish internal definitions of success.

Self-awareness and understanding one's personal values are essential throughout your career, but this is increasingly true during times of transition or uncertainty. Coaching facilitates critical thought and assists individuals in exploring their goals and underlying values, leading to a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Keep the Conversation Going

You can listen to Dr. Clyne's previous visit with us here at the Faculty Factory Podcast, as he joined us for episode no. 191, entitled 'Finding Focus, Collaborators, and Mentors for Accelerating Scholarly Productivity': https://facultyfactory.org/brian-clyne/.  You can contact Dr. Clyne here: [email protected] and the Faculty Factory website is here: https://facultyfactory.org/

In this week's enlightening episode of the Faculty Factory Podcast, we explore finding satisfaction in our careers. We discuss how we measure and perceive this satisfaction, as well as examine its connection to success—or the lack thereof. Joining us for this introspective discussion is our first-time guest, Brian Downer, PhD.

With the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Dr. Downer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Population Health and Health Disparities in the School of Public and Population Health. He is also the Director of the Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program and a Program Director for Population Health Sciences Program. Dr. Downer is a Gerontologist by training.

If you would like to read the article referenced by Dr. Downer in this podcast, you can find the 2023 article from the Harvard Business Review titled "Why Success Doesn’t Lead to Satisfaction" here: https://hbr.org/2023/01/why-success-doesnt-lead-to-satisfaction.

Where does satisfaction start? Perhaps with a shift in your mindset, as we learn from Dr. Downer and the article he references above throughout today’s conversation.

As outlined in this podcast, that mindset shift is about finding satisfaction “because,” not “when.” Essentially, if you wait until you achieve something to believe that you will derive satisfaction from it, that fulfillment may never come, or it may be very short-lived, leaving you wanting so much more.

Finding joy in the journey, rather than in the destination, can be the key to achieving the satisfaction that you might otherwise find missing as your career milestones, laurels, achievements, and “successes” accumulate. How to go about capturing that joy is at the heart of this discussion.

Visit the Faculty Factory website for more resources: https://facultyfactory.org/.