At the YO Lounge Power Hour, YO ARVO! Navigating a Career as a Clinician Scientist, Drs. Jeffrey Goldberg, of Stanford, Julia Haller, from Wills Eye Hospital, Stephanie Watson, from the University of Sidney, and Cecilia Lee, from the University of Washington, shared their insights in navigating a career as a clinician-scientist in ophthalmology.
Here are some of their key tips:
- Find a mentor. Finding people who have gone through the path and have been successful are key to helping you navigate your own path.
- Secure funding. Apply early and often, including both smaller foundation grants as well as larger National Institute of Health grants.
- Demonstrate your passion. To obtain the faculty position or get more time for research from your chair, do the legwork to define your research niche, resources you need to carry out the project and collaborators you may want to work with.
- Essentials for a clinician scientist position. When negotiating for a faculty position, consider the amount of protected time, space/infrastructure to do your research, and financial resources needed to launch your career.