Beyond abstracts: how to make the most of your annual meeting

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,860 Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast, where academic clinicians learn the skills 2 00:00:05,860 --> 00:00:11,260 to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor. 3 00:00:11,260 --> 00:00:17,340 As clinicians, we spend a decade or more as trainees learning to take care of patients. 4 00:00:17,340 --> 00:00:22,380 When we finally start our careers, we want to build research programs, but then we find 5 00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:27,780 that our years of clinical training did not adequately prepare us to lead our research 6 00:00:27,780 --> 00:00:29,200 program. 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:35,480 Through no fault of our own, we struggle to find mentors, and when we can't, we quit. 8 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:40,580 However, clinicians hold the keys to the greatest research breakthroughs. 9 00:00:40,580 --> 00:00:46,200 For this reason, the Clinician Researcher podcast exists to give academic clinicians 10 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:51,800 the tools to build their own research program, whether or not they have a mentor. 11 00:00:51,800 --> 00:01:01,060 Now introducing your host, Toyosi Onwuemene. 12 00:01:01,060 --> 00:01:02,940 Welcome to the Clinician Researcher podcast. 13 00:01:02,940 --> 00:01:07,780 I'm your host, Toyosi Onwuemene, and it is a pleasure to be talking with you today. 14 00:01:07,780 --> 00:01:12,820 I am recording live and direct from my annual meeting, the American Society of Hematology 15 00:01:12,820 --> 00:01:13,820 Animal Meeting. 16 00:01:13,820 --> 00:01:14,820 Yes. 17 00:01:14,820 --> 00:01:18,260 And I'm excited to be thinking about the annual meeting. 18 00:01:18,260 --> 00:01:23,020 So yes, all things coming to you this week are really about the annual meeting because 19 00:01:23,020 --> 00:01:24,120 it's on my mind. 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,460 And I'm like, what do I tell my crew today? 21 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:29,060 What do I tell my Clinician Researcher podcast audience? 22 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:31,660 And I can't think of anything outside of the annual meeting. 23 00:01:31,660 --> 00:01:35,740 So yeah, if yesterday was about the annual meeting and the day before was about the annual 24 00:01:35,740 --> 00:01:43,380 meeting, yes, today is also about the annual meeting, or at least an annual meeting theme. 25 00:01:43,380 --> 00:01:49,220 And I would like to give you a spoiler alert, tomorrow may also be about the annual meeting. 26 00:01:49,220 --> 00:01:53,260 But this particular episode is called How to Be Okay With Having Nothing to Present 27 00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:55,180 at Your Animal Meeting. 28 00:01:55,180 --> 00:01:59,180 How to Be Okay With Having Nothing to Present at Your Animal Meeting. 29 00:01:59,180 --> 00:02:03,220 And this is a really important episode because, wow, a lot of people are not okay. 30 00:02:03,220 --> 00:02:09,580 And I recorded an episode a day or two ago about the annual meeting blues. 31 00:02:09,580 --> 00:02:14,580 And so this particular one is an important one, because sometimes the annual meeting 32 00:02:14,580 --> 00:02:20,460 blues comes from, or they come from, having nothing to present because people are reminding 33 00:02:20,460 --> 00:02:22,180 you that what are you even doing here? 34 00:02:22,180 --> 00:02:24,180 You have nothing to present. 35 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:30,140 Oh my goodness, yes, okay. 36 00:02:30,140 --> 00:02:31,620 Having nothing to present, it's okay. 37 00:02:31,620 --> 00:02:35,700 And I'll tell you actually that the people who are okay that you didn't submit an abstract 38 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:41,300 this year are the abstract committee or the people who review abstracts and all those 39 00:02:41,300 --> 00:02:43,900 people who are involved in like preparing abstracts. 40 00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:47,820 Because holy cow, there was an ungodly number of abstracts submitted this year. 41 00:02:47,820 --> 00:02:53,860 And I know because I was an abstract reviewer. 42 00:02:53,860 --> 00:02:58,580 And I did not know when I was asked to review abstracts that I would be reviewing hundreds 43 00:02:58,580 --> 00:02:59,580 of abstracts. 44 00:02:59,580 --> 00:03:00,580 Like what? 45 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:01,580 Hundreds? 46 00:03:01,580 --> 00:03:02,580 Are you kidding me? 47 00:03:02,580 --> 00:03:03,820 Yep, I reviewed over 100. 48 00:03:03,820 --> 00:03:08,020 I don't remember exactly the final tally, but I think it was 144. 49 00:03:08,020 --> 00:03:09,860 That's a lot of abstracts. 50 00:03:09,860 --> 00:03:14,540 Anyway, so thank you for not submitting to the annual meeting this year because that 51 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:16,900 was one less abstract that I had to review. 52 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:18,980 Yeah, okay, you're not buying it. 53 00:03:18,980 --> 00:03:19,980 All right, all right. 54 00:03:19,980 --> 00:03:22,180 Okay, let's talk about this episode. 55 00:03:22,180 --> 00:03:27,820 Okay, if you're at the annual meeting and you have nothing to present, there are some 56 00:03:27,820 --> 00:03:33,420 things you should think about as far as what else is the annual meeting about that is not 57 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:37,940 necessarily about presenting a poster or an oral abstract or a plenary session. 58 00:03:37,940 --> 00:03:41,620 Okay, I hope, I hope, let's just pray. 59 00:03:41,620 --> 00:03:48,780 I pray for you that once or twice or more in your lifetime, you'll have a plenary session 60 00:03:48,780 --> 00:03:53,860 to present at the annual meeting or you'll have like an amazing like the award abstract 61 00:03:53,860 --> 00:03:54,860 to present. 62 00:03:54,860 --> 00:03:57,180 I hope that happens for you many, many, many years in a row. 63 00:03:57,180 --> 00:03:58,180 But you know what? 64 00:03:58,180 --> 00:04:02,100 No matter how amazing you are, and I would argue that you are pretty amazing. 65 00:04:02,100 --> 00:04:06,140 I know because you're listening to me. 66 00:04:06,140 --> 00:04:07,620 It's not going to happen every year, right? 67 00:04:07,620 --> 00:04:11,480 There are going to be some years that you don't do that and it's okay. 68 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:17,580 And so if you're one of those people at this time was nothing to present, I want to tell 69 00:04:17,580 --> 00:04:21,700 you that it's okay because it happens to everybody at least once in their career. 70 00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:22,700 Yeah. 71 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:26,060 And even your mentor who's like, what do you mean you're going to the annual meeting? 72 00:04:26,060 --> 00:04:27,300 You have nothing to present. 73 00:04:27,300 --> 00:04:30,860 It's happened to them once in their careers as well, at least once. 74 00:04:30,860 --> 00:04:32,540 It's happened at least once. 75 00:04:32,540 --> 00:04:37,500 And so I just want to encourage you that this is the way of all people that sometimes there'll 76 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:40,020 be annual meetings at which you have nothing to present. 77 00:04:40,020 --> 00:04:44,340 I'm glad that you came or that you're considering going to your annual meeting because I want 78 00:04:44,340 --> 00:04:48,340 to tell you about other things that you can do at the annual meeting or other things that 79 00:04:48,340 --> 00:04:51,700 the annual meeting is about that makes it relevant that you're here and that you can 80 00:04:51,700 --> 00:04:53,460 enjoy. 81 00:04:53,460 --> 00:04:58,900 So the first thing I want to share is that the annual meeting is really about connection. 82 00:04:58,900 --> 00:05:01,260 And the annual meeting is about connecting. 83 00:05:01,260 --> 00:05:04,020 It's about connecting on so many levels. 84 00:05:04,020 --> 00:05:07,700 The easy thing to think about when I'm talking about connecting at the annual meeting is 85 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:09,260 connecting with your colleagues. 86 00:05:09,260 --> 00:05:12,220 And yeah, it's a place to connect with your colleagues. 87 00:05:12,220 --> 00:05:21,900 It's a place to connect with your former mentors or your former med school classmates or your 88 00:05:21,900 --> 00:05:27,620 former residency cohorts or maybe your fellowship cohort, which is such an amazing cohort, you 89 00:05:27,620 --> 00:05:29,540 know, it gets smaller over time. 90 00:05:29,540 --> 00:05:33,260 If you did med school and you went to residency and went to fellowship, usually the classes 91 00:05:33,260 --> 00:05:34,580 are getting smaller. 92 00:05:34,580 --> 00:05:39,740 And so kind of the intimacy of the depth of friendship and the trauma that you share, 93 00:05:39,740 --> 00:05:46,820 those are a little bit more, you know, they're a little more, more, more, more deep anyway. 94 00:05:46,820 --> 00:05:49,140 But it's about connecting with those people too. 95 00:05:49,140 --> 00:05:53,420 So connecting with colleagues, connecting with people that you share some bond in some 96 00:05:53,420 --> 00:05:56,460 way or the other and connecting with mentors. 97 00:05:56,460 --> 00:06:00,860 But it's also about connecting with other people who are thinking about the same problems 98 00:06:00,860 --> 00:06:02,860 in different ways, right? 99 00:06:02,860 --> 00:06:07,780 Connecting with industry, it's about connecting with patient advocacy groups that are there, 100 00:06:07,780 --> 00:06:13,900 is about connecting with the foundation or the particular your annual meeting foundation, 101 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:16,500 whichever foundation hosts your annual meeting. 102 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:21,320 They've got like a whole host of ideas and a whole host of things that they want to do. 103 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,560 It's really about connecting. 104 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,540 And I have to tell you that the reason we struggled through the pandemic with our annual 105 00:06:27,540 --> 00:06:34,100 meetings is that, yeah, you can give a lot of information and the information is good, 106 00:06:34,100 --> 00:06:39,960 but to miss that electricity, the electric piece of connecting, it's really what makes 107 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:41,900 meetings meetings. 108 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:46,700 And so if you are not presenting a poster or you're not presenting an abstract at your 109 00:06:46,700 --> 00:06:53,140 annual meeting this year, it's okay because what you want to make sure you do is make 110 00:06:53,140 --> 00:06:59,540 sure you connect and connect with the ideas, connect with the people who bring the ideas, 111 00:06:59,540 --> 00:07:00,540 connect. 112 00:07:00,540 --> 00:07:04,940 Don't, don't go pouting and sulking in a corner. 113 00:07:04,940 --> 00:07:10,180 Connect because perhaps this meeting is about so much more than just bringing the information. 114 00:07:10,180 --> 00:07:14,620 And I do want to thank everybody who did submit an abstract to the animal meeting this year 115 00:07:14,620 --> 00:07:15,620 and had a presentation. 116 00:07:15,620 --> 00:07:19,900 Thank you so much because if you didn't do that, we would not have the meeting. 117 00:07:19,900 --> 00:07:23,060 It wouldn't be as rich and as vibrant and as amazing as it was. 118 00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:24,060 It wouldn't be. 119 00:07:24,060 --> 00:07:25,620 And so thank you for doing that. 120 00:07:25,620 --> 00:07:30,900 And to everybody else who didn't, it's okay because it's an opportunity to connect. 121 00:07:30,900 --> 00:07:31,900 Okay. 122 00:07:31,900 --> 00:07:34,580 Number two is that the animal meeting is about learning. 123 00:07:34,580 --> 00:07:35,780 Now this is kind of obvious. 124 00:07:35,780 --> 00:07:37,100 Like, yeah, I came to learn. 125 00:07:37,100 --> 00:07:38,780 I came to get all my CME. 126 00:07:38,780 --> 00:07:39,780 Well good for you. 127 00:07:39,780 --> 00:07:40,780 Make sure you learn something. 128 00:07:40,780 --> 00:07:46,120 However, there's a lot of learning that is non-CME and I want to invite you to consider 129 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:52,460 that your learning should be a mix of CME learning, CME related learning and non-CME 130 00:07:52,460 --> 00:07:53,460 related learning. 131 00:07:53,460 --> 00:07:54,460 Right? 132 00:07:54,460 --> 00:07:56,420 You can do all the learnings. 133 00:07:56,420 --> 00:08:01,020 And I would venture to say that, you know, the educational and non-educational sessions 134 00:08:01,020 --> 00:08:05,820 that are CME versus non-CME are only one piece of the learning. 135 00:08:05,820 --> 00:08:09,700 And sometimes what you go do is learn from the product theaters. 136 00:08:09,700 --> 00:08:13,660 I hear some people say, ugh, I want to have nothing to do with industry. 137 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:20,940 But I have to tell you that our industry colleagues, they're ahead in many ways that, you know, 138 00:08:20,940 --> 00:08:27,780 you should just tap into, okay, don't accept a dinner or don't let them pay for your meal, 139 00:08:27,780 --> 00:08:28,780 whatever. 140 00:08:28,780 --> 00:08:30,980 Whatever helps you feel good and sleep at night. 141 00:08:30,980 --> 00:08:35,140 Well, you should go hang out and at least talk to them and talk to a couple, go to their 142 00:08:35,140 --> 00:08:36,140 booths. 143 00:08:36,140 --> 00:08:39,540 They've got some things that are a little bit cutting edge, right? 144 00:08:39,540 --> 00:08:44,140 I'll give an example and this may not impress you, but it definitely impressed me. 145 00:08:44,140 --> 00:08:50,220 Last year when I came to the animal meeting and I asked, oh yeah, give me your card. 146 00:08:50,220 --> 00:08:56,500 All of them, I forget what company this was, they pull out their QR code and they're like, 147 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:57,840 yeah, scan this QR code. 148 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:58,840 That's my business card. 149 00:08:58,840 --> 00:08:59,840 I was like, are you kidding me? 150 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:00,840 It's your business card? 151 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,820 I was really super impressed because that was the first time I had seen this and they 152 00:09:04,820 --> 00:09:07,940 are all like, you know, I'm scanning all their QR codes. 153 00:09:07,940 --> 00:09:09,580 It's immediately popping into my phone. 154 00:09:09,580 --> 00:09:11,820 There's none of this, spell your name. 155 00:09:11,820 --> 00:09:12,820 Was that 910? 156 00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:14,180 None of that. 157 00:09:14,180 --> 00:09:17,980 It was just so seamless and so beautiful and they all did it. 158 00:09:17,980 --> 00:09:23,980 And there I was saying I don't have a card, but you know, I just wasn't there. 159 00:09:23,980 --> 00:09:29,260 So after that meeting, I went back and figured out how to do it. 160 00:09:29,260 --> 00:09:36,020 And so now I'm the cool kid on the blog going around sharing with people my QR code that 161 00:09:36,020 --> 00:09:43,140 gives them all my information on their phone without having to, you know, whip out a card 162 00:09:43,140 --> 00:09:44,540 the old fashioned way. 163 00:09:44,540 --> 00:09:46,580 So that's just one example. 164 00:09:46,580 --> 00:09:50,480 There are many other things that you can learn from your industry colleagues that have nothing 165 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:55,020 really to do with, you know, their drugs that they're trying to sell or their interventions 166 00:09:55,020 --> 00:09:58,020 that they're trying to get you to buy into. 167 00:09:58,020 --> 00:10:03,380 But it's just that there are people who are thinking about healthcare problems in a different 168 00:10:03,380 --> 00:10:07,620 way than you and there's always opportunities to learn from them. 169 00:10:07,620 --> 00:10:12,740 And I want to say one more thing about learning is, you know, the more you respect what other 170 00:10:12,740 --> 00:10:17,900 people have to share, what perspectives other people bring, the more you learn. 171 00:10:17,900 --> 00:10:24,100 And so I hope that in life and in academia, there's no one you feel like you can't learn 172 00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:25,100 from. 173 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:29,700 So definitely recognize that the Animal Meeting is about learning, but not just the traditional 174 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:32,500 CME learning, but all sorts of learnings. 175 00:10:32,500 --> 00:10:38,060 And I hope that you take advantage of the opportunities to learn as much as you can. 176 00:10:38,060 --> 00:10:43,300 The third thing that the Animal Meeting is for is about taking time away. 177 00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:47,700 So yeah, perhaps you brought your family with you and that's okay. 178 00:10:47,700 --> 00:10:48,700 Or you didn't. 179 00:10:48,700 --> 00:10:51,660 I think many people come without their families. 180 00:10:51,660 --> 00:10:56,460 It's an opportunity to just be somewhere else, be in a different environment, be in a different 181 00:10:56,460 --> 00:10:57,460 space. 182 00:10:57,460 --> 00:11:00,940 And if you bring your whole family with you, great. 183 00:11:00,940 --> 00:11:05,600 You're all like having this experience away from your normal environment, which is always 184 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,860 refreshing in some way. 185 00:11:07,860 --> 00:11:13,020 But whether you come alone or you come with others, you're leaving your natural environment. 186 00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:16,140 And so it's a great opportunity to take time away. 187 00:11:16,140 --> 00:11:18,540 Yes, you are working to some extent. 188 00:11:18,540 --> 00:11:23,900 Yes, you are learning, but leave the email behind, leave all the charts behind, and really 189 00:11:23,900 --> 00:11:26,060 just enjoy the time. 190 00:11:26,060 --> 00:11:27,740 Enjoy the time away. 191 00:11:27,740 --> 00:11:29,600 Enjoy the mental space. 192 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,240 Enjoy the mental break. 193 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:35,980 So the Animal Meeting is really about an opportunity to take time away. 194 00:11:35,980 --> 00:11:40,260 And I hope that if you're at the Animal Meeting, and you know, especially if you don't have 195 00:11:40,260 --> 00:11:45,220 anything to present, make sure that you make the most of this time away. 196 00:11:45,220 --> 00:11:47,380 Don't go to the sessions that begin at 7am. 197 00:11:47,380 --> 00:11:53,340 I'm so glad that now everything is so, you know, it's available on demand. 198 00:11:53,340 --> 00:11:58,140 And so don't wake up at 7am to go to the early morning session. 199 00:11:58,140 --> 00:12:01,940 Sleep in till 9 and then watch it at 2x the speed. 200 00:12:01,940 --> 00:12:05,620 You'll still retain all of it and you'll have gotten some more sleep. 201 00:12:05,620 --> 00:12:07,620 That's how you buy back time. 202 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:08,620 It's so awesome. 203 00:12:08,620 --> 00:12:11,860 Okay, so it's about taking time away. 204 00:12:11,860 --> 00:12:14,040 Make the most of it. 205 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,100 The fourth thing is that the Animal Meeting is about walking a lot. 206 00:12:17,100 --> 00:12:20,580 Yeah, yeah, there's a lot of walking involved at the Animal Meeting. 207 00:12:20,580 --> 00:12:25,740 I don't know about you, but if it's a big enough meeting, it's a lot of walking. 208 00:12:25,740 --> 00:12:28,020 And I see that they have scooters too. 209 00:12:28,020 --> 00:12:30,700 So if you need a scooter, I'm glad that they have them for you. 210 00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:35,660 And if they don't, certainly something to bring before your Animal Meeting committee, 211 00:12:35,660 --> 00:12:39,260 because it absolutely, you know, should be available for people who need it. 212 00:12:39,260 --> 00:12:44,940 But I will tell you that for many people, walking a lot is the order of the day. 213 00:12:44,940 --> 00:12:45,940 You know what? 214 00:12:45,940 --> 00:12:48,300 You've been struggling to make your steps counts. 215 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:50,100 You've been struggling to exercise. 216 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:53,500 So yeah, definitely do a lot of walking. 217 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:57,900 And can I just put a plug in here for going to the gym at the hotel that you're at? 218 00:12:57,900 --> 00:12:59,180 So maybe you're good. 219 00:12:59,180 --> 00:13:00,740 You go to the gym all the time. 220 00:13:00,740 --> 00:13:03,860 But for everybody else who doesn't do that, wow, what an opportunity. 221 00:13:03,860 --> 00:13:07,220 You get to go to the gym, take advantage of it, go. 222 00:13:07,220 --> 00:13:08,220 There's a pool. 223 00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:09,220 It's heated. 224 00:13:09,220 --> 00:13:10,220 Wow. 225 00:13:10,220 --> 00:13:12,340 You know, just take advantage of it. 226 00:13:12,340 --> 00:13:16,020 You don't have to present the 7 a.m. poster. 227 00:13:16,020 --> 00:13:20,620 So yeah, do all the other stuff that you otherwise wouldn't be able to do, including doing a 228 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:22,580 lot of walking and exercising. 229 00:13:22,580 --> 00:13:23,580 All right. 230 00:13:23,580 --> 00:13:29,140 Yes, the Animal Meeting is about walking a lot, getting your steps in. 231 00:13:29,140 --> 00:13:33,860 Part five is that the Animal Meeting is about seeing the sights. 232 00:13:33,860 --> 00:13:37,580 You know, they always have these meetings at these amazing places that have a lot of 233 00:13:37,580 --> 00:13:38,580 stuff to do. 234 00:13:38,580 --> 00:13:41,860 And they schedule you from morning until night. 235 00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:45,940 When I was younger, I thought that meant you had to stay in the conference hotel the whole 236 00:13:45,940 --> 00:13:50,780 time and go nowhere while you tried to learn all the stuff that somehow wouldn't stay in 237 00:13:50,780 --> 00:13:51,780 your head. 238 00:13:51,780 --> 00:13:58,540 What I realized now is that it gives you the opportunity to choose a day, maybe a half 239 00:13:58,540 --> 00:14:05,780 a day, maybe even more than a day where you say, hey, I'm in this nice city that I frankly 240 00:14:05,780 --> 00:14:07,220 don't come to very often. 241 00:14:07,220 --> 00:14:09,300 And I'm not sure when next I'm coming back here. 242 00:14:09,300 --> 00:14:12,100 Why don't I take a day and discover where I am? 243 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:16,900 And I want to invite you if you've ever been in the space where you think you can't do 244 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:19,100 that, please, please, please do it. 245 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:23,060 It's at a special, wonderful location for a reason. 246 00:14:23,060 --> 00:14:28,080 It's supposed to be attractive and it's an opportunity, especially if you're not presenting 247 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:32,340 an abstract for you to take advantage of learning. 248 00:14:32,340 --> 00:14:38,620 Don't let guilt keep you in your seat in the cold auditorium from morning until night punishing 249 00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:41,300 yourself for not coming with an abstract. 250 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:44,860 Please take time away and say, haha, taking Monday off. 251 00:14:44,860 --> 00:14:47,620 This would have been the Monday that I would be presenting my abstract. 252 00:14:47,620 --> 00:14:52,300 But no, I am going to see the sights of the town. 253 00:14:52,300 --> 00:14:56,340 Definitely make sure that you invest time in seeing the sights. 254 00:14:56,340 --> 00:14:57,340 Okay. 255 00:14:57,340 --> 00:15:02,420 The sixth thing is that the annual meeting is about gaining new ideas. 256 00:15:02,420 --> 00:15:06,580 And so I think that you are more relaxed when you don't have things to present, or you can 257 00:15:06,580 --> 00:15:09,500 just go around and say, how did they solve this problem? 258 00:15:09,500 --> 00:15:11,180 Oh, this is interesting. 259 00:15:11,180 --> 00:15:13,260 Okay, how did they do this? 260 00:15:13,260 --> 00:15:15,580 You look at the posters and you say, what were their methods? 261 00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:18,900 Huh, why did they choose to do it this way? 262 00:15:18,900 --> 00:15:24,700 You gave new ideas so that you can take it back to your program and make the most of 263 00:15:24,700 --> 00:15:25,700 it. 264 00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:31,260 So I would definitely recognize that the annual meeting is about gaining new ideas for your 265 00:15:31,260 --> 00:15:34,580 research and for your scholarship. 266 00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:39,940 And number seven is that the annual meeting is about remembering why you're in academia, 267 00:15:39,940 --> 00:15:41,500 remembering why you're in academia. 268 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:43,940 And, you know, sometimes we get lost. 269 00:15:43,940 --> 00:15:45,540 We get lost in the day to day. 270 00:15:45,540 --> 00:15:53,340 We get lost in the prior authorizations, the constant requests, the MyChart messages, the 271 00:15:53,340 --> 00:15:56,140 grant submissions, the manuscript submissions. 272 00:15:56,140 --> 00:16:02,500 We get lost and we forget about the big picture until we come to the meeting. 273 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:05,340 And all of a sudden we see science moving forward. 274 00:16:05,340 --> 00:16:08,500 And it feels like there's an acceleration that takes place at the annual meeting. 275 00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:12,740 And it's a little bit of an optical illusion, or maybe we should call it a mind illusion. 276 00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:16,820 But it's that, you know, all the science has been going on all along, but we bring it all 277 00:16:16,820 --> 00:16:17,820 together. 278 00:16:17,820 --> 00:16:19,380 We showcase it in different ways. 279 00:16:19,380 --> 00:16:23,700 And then all of a sudden we're like, my gosh, things are moving forward, gene therapy is 280 00:16:23,700 --> 00:16:24,700 here. 281 00:16:24,700 --> 00:16:28,220 Oh my gosh, gene editing is part of our therapies. 282 00:16:28,220 --> 00:16:29,220 It's really awesome. 283 00:16:29,220 --> 00:16:30,580 And it's just so inspiring. 284 00:16:30,580 --> 00:16:35,260 And seeing the work that people are doing and moving forward just reminds you why you're 285 00:16:35,260 --> 00:16:41,100 in academia, here to move the needle forward, here to really progress in your scholarship. 286 00:16:41,100 --> 00:16:44,660 So that even if you're not able to present an abstract this year, you're going to be 287 00:16:44,660 --> 00:16:48,900 able to do it a year from now, two years from now, and the data will have been worth the 288 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:49,900 wait. 289 00:16:49,900 --> 00:16:52,340 It is so inspiring to be here. 290 00:16:52,340 --> 00:16:56,980 It is so inspiring to see the work that's happening, the excitement with which people 291 00:16:56,980 --> 00:17:01,500 are presenting their work, the hopes they have for the future, right? 292 00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:04,740 Because they're not just presenting their science, they're presenting strategies for 293 00:17:04,740 --> 00:17:11,140 equity, in medicine, they're presenting strategies for mentoring people who are underrepresented 294 00:17:11,140 --> 00:17:18,020 in medicine or mentoring women or mentoring men, which, you know, I mean, a lot of different 295 00:17:18,020 --> 00:17:20,860 groups are underrepresented in medicine. 296 00:17:20,860 --> 00:17:26,780 And so just listening to all the ideas and all the things that people are sharing is 297 00:17:26,780 --> 00:17:29,220 so, so, so inspiring. 298 00:17:29,220 --> 00:17:31,780 And it reminds me that I'm here. 299 00:17:31,780 --> 00:17:33,580 I'm here because I want to be. 300 00:17:33,580 --> 00:17:35,980 I'm here because I choose to be. 301 00:17:35,980 --> 00:17:41,860 And I hope that you also take time to connect to the annual meeting in such a way that you 302 00:17:41,860 --> 00:17:45,260 are able to recognize and remember why you came. 303 00:17:45,260 --> 00:17:50,020 And remember why you put up with all the stuff you put up with so that you can advance in 304 00:17:50,020 --> 00:17:51,020 a different way. 305 00:17:51,020 --> 00:17:52,020 Yeah. 306 00:17:52,020 --> 00:17:53,020 All right. 307 00:17:53,020 --> 00:17:54,020 So those are the reasons. 308 00:17:54,020 --> 00:17:58,660 Those are the things to think about so that you can be okay with having nothing to present 309 00:17:58,660 --> 00:17:59,820 at your annual meeting. 310 00:17:59,820 --> 00:18:04,540 Now, I can't tell you that you'll take these seven points to your mentors and they'll say, 311 00:18:04,540 --> 00:18:06,420 oh, yeah, I'm patting you on the back. 312 00:18:06,420 --> 00:18:07,420 Well done. 313 00:18:07,420 --> 00:18:08,540 You have no abstract to present. 314 00:18:08,540 --> 00:18:13,460 I can't say that they're going to be excited for you, but I think it's important for you 315 00:18:13,460 --> 00:18:19,220 to recognize the value of the annual meeting beyond just presenting an abstract. 316 00:18:19,220 --> 00:18:25,100 And I hope that as you move into a mentor role, and you probably already are in a mentor 317 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:29,980 role, you'll cut your trainees some slack and you won't require that they have to have 318 00:18:29,980 --> 00:18:33,060 a poster before they can go to the annual meeting. 319 00:18:33,060 --> 00:18:34,660 I think it's a worthy goal. 320 00:18:34,660 --> 00:18:35,660 Wow. 321 00:18:35,660 --> 00:18:39,140 Many a poster has been strung together just to make it to the meeting. 322 00:18:39,140 --> 00:18:43,940 And I think it's okay to encourage people that going to the meeting is valuable even 323 00:18:43,940 --> 00:18:46,340 when you have nothing to present. 324 00:18:46,340 --> 00:18:50,900 So those seven things were remembering that the annual meeting is about connecting. 325 00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:52,340 It's about learning. 326 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:53,980 It's about taking time away. 327 00:18:53,980 --> 00:18:56,380 It's about a lot of walking and exercise. 328 00:18:56,380 --> 00:19:01,940 It's about seeing the sights, getting new ideas, and remembering your why in academia. 329 00:19:01,940 --> 00:19:02,940 All right. 330 00:19:02,940 --> 00:19:05,300 It's been a pleasure to talk with you today. 331 00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:06,300 Thank you for listening. 332 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:08,700 Have a great rest of your day. 333 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:18,940 And I look forward to talking with you again the next time. 334 00:19:18,940 --> 00:19:24,300 Thanks for listening to this episode of the Clinician Researcher podcast, where academic 335 00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:29,460 clinicians learn the skills to build their own research program, whether or not they 336 00:19:29,460 --> 00:19:31,100 have a mentor. 337 00:19:31,100 --> 00:19:37,060 If you found the information in this episode to be helpful, don't keep it all to yourself. 338 00:19:37,060 --> 00:19:38,940 Someone else needs to hear it. 339 00:19:38,940 --> 00:19:42,980 So take a minute right now and share it. 340 00:19:42,980 --> 00:19:48,460 As you share this episode, you become part of our mission to help launch a new generation 341 00:19:48,460 --> 00:20:08,260 of clinician researchers who make transformative discoveries that change the way we do health