In this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast, host Dr. Toyosi Onwuemene explores the immense value of attending career development programs outside your home institution, focusing particularly on the AAMC Mid-Career Faculty Meeting. Dr. Onwuemene discusses how stepping out of your institutional culture can broaden your career outlook and equip you with the tools necessary for long-term success in academic medicine.

Key Takeaways:

1. Targeted Career Development for Faculty: The AAMC offers programs specifically designed for academic medical faculty. These programs address the real-world needs of faculty members across different career stages.
2. Breaking Away to Focus on You: The importance of physically stepping away from your daily routine to concentrate solely on your career.
3. Gaining Perspectives Beyond Your Institution: Your institution has its own culture and set ways of thinking. By attending external career development programs, you can benefit from fresh perspectives that challenge and complement your institutional experiences.
4. Psychological Safety to Discuss Challenges: External programs provide a psychologically safe space to openly discuss challenges without the internal politics of your institution.
5. Access to Senior Faculty: These programs give you the unique chance to interact with senior faculty members from different institutions. This access is often more open and intimate compared to your home institution.
6. Learning New Information: At these events, you’re likely to learn critical career development information that you might not encounter in your day-to-day work. These big-picture insights often come from faculty who take a step back from minutiae and share strategies for long-term career success.
7. Increase your networks. At these events, you not only get to network with peers but also with senior faculty who could serve as mentors, coaches, and sponsors.

Final Thought: Career development programs outside your institution provide a unique opportunity to step back, assess your career, and make informed decisions that align with your long-term goals.

Call to Action: If you haven’t already, check out the AAMC’s career development opportunities and consider attending one that aligns with your career stage and goals. It’s a powerful investment in your professional future!

Sponsor/Advertising/Monetization Information:

This episode is sponsored by Coag Coach LLC, a leading provider of coaching resources for clinicians transitioning to become research leaders. Coag Coach LLC is committed to supporting clinicians in their scholarship.

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