Path to the Podium: Retina

YoungMD Connect recently hosted a special encore of our popular Path to the Podium Workshop, where we invited a panel of ophthalmic thought leaders to share their journeys of how they became sought-after speakers and consultants. This time we focused on retina, a subspecialty that has witnessed substantial growth in new technologies introduced to the clinic over the last decade, and one in which the pace of innovation only seems to be accelerating.

Our panel’s most important message to the audience: New technologies and interventions create an inherent educational need; ophthalmology is unique among medical specialties in the working relationship between industry and physicians; those younger ophthalmologists now establishing their own careers have ample opportunity—if they are interested—to get on the podium and help advance the field.

Steps You Can Take in Fellowship

Avni P. Finn, MD, MBA

“Although fellowship is your time to hone your clinical skills, it is also a time to broaden your horizons and explore the things that you are passionate about.”

• Talk to mentors about opportunities. Investigator initiated trials (IITs) are a great first step.
  • Industry needs feedback from the field 1) when new technologies/drugs are being studied or introduced to market, 2) about safety and efficacy, and 3) about usability and how they fit in real-world practice.
• Three tips for getting started:
  1. Networking is a skill: It comes naturally to some, most have to work at it.
  2. Practice your presenting and speaking skills.
  3. Express interest to people you meet in industry and to mentors who can help create opportunities for you: “The best way to do this is just by voicing your interest.”

Essential Skills That Help Shape Your Journey

Sarah Parker Read, MD, PhD

“At some point you stop getting grades, and you just have to do things you like to do “

• Several attributes make someone a good speaker, but connection with the audience is up there.
  • Try to present as much of your material as possible without notes. Practice presenting cases from memory during rounds and when talking to faculty.
  • The really good speakers don’t talk to their slides; they set up the next one, and they guide listeners through the story their slides convey.
• Is work-life balance an “essential skill” in this regard?
  • I ask myself often: “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” If the reward you’re getting out isn’t worth the work you’re putting in, it’s fine to say no—and you’re probably better off that way.

No One Walks Alone: Connecting With Industry

Yannek Leiderman, MD, PhD

“Be genuine and do good work, and by that virtue, industry will want to work with you.”

• The wave of innovation in retina creates opportunity for young ophthalmologists:
  • Those on the leading edge have an important role in relaying experiences back to industry and colleagues.
  • Being on the “leading edge” does not necessarily mean being a “first adopter.” Don’t force change just to study something.
• Top tip for getting noticed by industry:
  • Think about the last time you met a pushy salesman; did you enjoy the interaction? If not, make sure your eagerness doesn’t come off the wrong way.

Asking for Directions: The Role of Mentors and How to Engage

Yoshihiro Yonekawa, MD

“I have had the great fortune in my career to have trained in several places, giving me exposure to an array of mentors. Equally as important is the variety of colleagues I’ve been able to collaborate with.”

• I’ve learned from each unique person I’ve interacted with in training, and in some way, they’ve all been mentors: “Don’t take your mentors for granted, and don’t forget the friends you make along the way.”
• The people you are in training with will be your peers and hopefully your friends for life. The learning opportunities extend to them, as well.
• Try to say yes when your mentors offer opportunities: “It’s a snowball effect—the more you do the little things well, the more you will be trusted to do the big work.”