Our Experience in Chicago
Our exchange program was hosted by Professors Harris R. Perlman, PhD, and Richard M. Pope, MD, and supported by faculty members from Northwestern University, and a number of speakers from farther afield. We would particularly like to thank our hosts for their careful consideration in ensuring the faculty who supported the exchange were as diverse as those of us who attended. As a result, despite the heterogeneity in our group of exchange participants, we were all able to enjoy discussions with colleagues whose research interests aligned with our own. Further, we were able to benefit from hearing about the career progressions and, sometimes, pitfalls associated with different career paths.
Day 1
There was no fear of jet lag during our site visit to the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, because the day’s schedule was jam-packed with presentations from our hosts, keynote presentations on career development opportunities and lunchtime discussions with senior investigators and their junior faculty partners who had interests aligning with our own. Each exchange participant had the opportunity to present their work and discuss research ideas. At the end of the day, we were taken to dinner at a local restaurant for a meal attended by even more faculty members. There, the good food and the wine (or beer for some) made the atmosphere more informal and led to more laid-back discussions and exchange of experiences.
Day 2
The second day kicked off with an early (7:30 a.m.) breakfast and continued with more lectures and discussions about career development led by prominent rheumatology researchers, such as Richard Pope, MD, our host from Northwestern University; Joan M. Bathon, MD, from Columbia University, New York; Christopher D. Buckley, DPhil, from the University of Birmingham, England; Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; and Iain McInnes, MD, PhD, from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. We also heard and discussed research presentations by the remaining European scholars. The aim was to receive feedback from people outside our own research microworlds, and it was precious and insightful. At about lunchtime, we wrapped up, and the group of scholars ended up at a Mexican lunch place for food and continued networking. At that point, we were a well-bonded group.
New Perspectives
KD: Naturally, if you asked each member of our exchange group, they would likely all report different take-home messages from their time in the program. But for me, the most important message was that even the most successful people have experienced the ups and downs associated with a career in academia, and no one right way exists to be a successful rheumatology professional.
We had a contrast in presenters: Anne-Marie Malfait, MD, PhD, of Rush University, Chicago, spoke about relocating across the world to follow exciting research opportunities. Dr. McInnes told us the grass isn’t always greener on the other side (or in other research institutions), if you cultivate your own area well enough. It was also really inspiring to hear from Dr. Bathon, who spoke about her journey through her clinical training and early research career at a time when few women were in the field.
IP: As Katie mentioned above, the take-home messages are most likely different for each one of the scholars. Personally, I remember the idea that important ingredients for successful careers are brilliant (novel) ideas and persistence. The road will not always be strewn with roses, and even if it ostensibly appears to be like that, one should be aware of the thorns. Indeed, if you have everybody on your side from the beginning of your independent career, you may have to reconsider the novelty of your hypothesis.
Last, but not least, the take-home message that most probably is common for all scholars is what the exchange program was about—collaboration: Great things cannot be accomplished by solo players. It takes a team to make your idea flourish, and the entire community within your field will have to embrace your product. So for me, the take-home messages could be summarized as brilliant ideas, persistence, collaboration.
In fact, I am happy to say my first collaboration with a co-participant, which started during the conference, has already been published.
