Back to basics at the Physician Scientist Symposium
So many questions.
Whether they are trainees, or it’s early in their faculty careers, or they’re transitioning from academia to industry or they want to take on leadership roles, Richard Steinman has seen physician-scientists face decisions they don’t feel fully prepared to make.
Having witnessed plenty of his mentees and colleagues grappling with questions about their careers, Steinman (Res ’90, Fel ’92), an MD, PhD associate dean and director of the Medical Scientist Training Program and an associate professor of medicine, of pharmacology and chemical biology, thought he’d help. And he thought he’d do that by generating answers in a format his audience would appreciate—a symposium.
“Most symposiums are highly scientific,” Steinman says. The Physician Scientist Symposium he and his steering committee created was not.
The inaugural event in June at the Heinz History Center brought together trainees, faculty, alumni and career experts to talk about issues that ranged from work-life balance to entrepreneurial skills to finding support in preparing grant proposals. About 300 people attended.
“The goal of the symposium was to allow for same-career-level and across-level dialogue about the strategies needed to persist and thrive as physician-scientists,” Steinman says. “There’s evidence that ongoing communication and networking will continue beyond the symposium day.”
Anonymous feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Wrote one attendee: “The discussions I had over the weekend not only showed me that my concerns regarding life priorities are common, but that I will be able to structure a life/career that fosters personal and professional happiness. I learned several new tools to cope with feelings of burnout, and I am already feeling so much more optimistic about the path ahead!”
