Dale Needham is the 2018 David Bennett Speaker In conversation with Charlotte Summers

1. Academic Career Tips:
From My Mentors to You
… thanks to Drs. Peter Pronovost & Allan Detsky
Dale Needham, FCPA, MD, PhD
Professor,
Outcomes After Critical Illness & Surgery (OACIS) Group,
Johns Hopkins University
Dale.Needham@jhmi.edu @DrDaleNeedham

2. Acknowledgements & References
• Slides adapted from Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD
• Detsky AS et al. Academic Mentoring… JAMA 2007
• Vaughn et al. Mentee Missteps JAMA 2017
• Chopra V. Four Golden Rules of Effective Menteeship
– http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/The_four_golden_rules_of_effective_menteeship
• Tobin MJ. Mentoring: Seven Roles… AJRCCM 2014
• My views/experience: David M. Levine Mentorship
Award, Johns Hopkins University Department of Medicine

3. Caveat, Disclosure, Perspective…
• These tips are influenced by my
perspective as a clinician-scientist in
clinical research
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4. Setting yourself up for success
• Aim for the sweet spot….
Mentorship
Protected
time
Research
Training
the
goal

5. Be Proactive
• Most things don’t “just happen”
• Act rather than be acted upon via:
–Setting explicit goals
–Creating mentoring team and plan …
• Much of my career development guided by:
– Sally Gunz, Michelle Gagnon,
– Deb Cook, Allan Detsky, Bill Sibbald,
– Peter Pronovost

6. Get a Mentoring Team
(likely need >1 mentor) Tobin, AJRCCM 2004:114-7
• Markedly increases change of academic success
• Characteristics of a good mentor:
– Role model & enthusiastic: admirable, shared interests/values
– Teacher: capable, appropriate expertise
– Time: available & responsive: set standing mtg (eg weekly)
– Advisor/confidante: supportive; helps protect you; say “No”
– Coach: helps you set & attain goals; offers you new ideas
– Sponsor: provide opportunities/exposure & nominations
– Generally is not your friend or colleague: clarify expectations
• Look at mentor CV
• Talk to prior mentees

7. Picking a Mentor…

8. Picking a Mentor …
9

9. Be a Good Mentee
• Be organized, efficient & prepared
– Mentor’s time is scarce
– Bring written agenda
– Avoid last minute requests
– Make it easy to respond: most things read “on the fly”
• Be responsive
– if you think you are too busy, consider your mentor
• Be curious, positive & energetic
• Give feedback to mentor – what worked?
• Be honest re: your goals/likes/dislikes
– Your role is not to please your mentor

10. Mentee Missteps Tips (JAMA 2017)
Avoid being the…
1. Over-committer: learn to say “no” to non-imp’t
2. Door mat: don’t always do scut for others
3. Ghost: don’t avoid mentor when problems
To avoid: be explicit with your goals
4. Vampire: be judicious w/ mentor requests
5. Lone Wolf: don’t be too independent
6. Backstabber: accept responsibility for errors
To avoid: Have confidence in yourself

11. Obtain Required Skills
• Research: get graduate degree for clinical research
– Study design and statistical analysis
– Research ethics & regulation
– Grant writing
– Manuscript writing
• Oral presentations
– must request feedback
• given less frequently for oral ppt than manuscript
• Team work, leadership & organization skills

12. Determine your area of focus…
What can you
be great at
What are you
passionate
about
What is
important

13. Stay Focused:
Create a “Culture of Discipline”
• Understand success factors for the future
• Focus on these success factors
– For clinician-scientist: grants & papers
• Write research papers,
– not abstracts, chapters & narrative reviews
– Don’t migrate to the easy (clinical work) &
avoid the tough (writing papers & grants)
• Seek to continuously improve
– Request constructive criticism

14. Stay Focused: Learn to say No
• Learn to say “No” – a balancing act…
– Do it:
• frequently & politely
• without being perceived as self-centered
• while still being a team player
– You can say “No” & still help:
• suggest someone else

15. Balancing Act:
Production & Production Capacity
• Balance work, family, personal
– Easier said than done
– Look for role models & ask specific questions/advice
– Consider reading/courses
– Schedule non-work things into routine/calendar
• Daren Heyland: scheduling running into calendar
• Remember to re-energize
– Homework assignment: “Take a vacation”
– Listen to cues from your mood/morale & body

16. Time Management
Urgent Not Urgent
Important I II
Not Important III IV
Actively manage your calendar
• Protect your time - schedule time for YOUR work
• Just say “No”
• “Time tracking”
• document your time; eliminate time wasting activities

17. Build a Team
(Helpers/Colleagues)
• Learn to:
– Listen
– Delegate
• Build Win/Win Relationships
– Contribute to others’ success
– Have colleagues for support – to mutually
share in successes & failures

18. Enjoy the Process
• Choose your attitude
• Do what you enjoy w/ enthusastic mentor
• Select work in an area that you enjoy:
– Clinical
– Education
– Research
– Administration

19. Enjoy the Process:
Characteristics for Researchers
• Passion for asking & answering questions
• Commitment to hard work
• Persistence:
– the hard work you do after you get tired of
doing the hard work you have already done
• Internally motivated
• Can accept repeated “failure” & “rejection”
• Can work towards long-term vision

20. Other ideas?
Discussion….
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