Academic career

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Onkos

Full Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2014
Messages
31
Reaction score
18
I am in my second year of Hem/Onc fellowship training at a program that does very little in terms of academia and research. Given my circumstances, what are some strategies to gain more experience for an academic career?

Members don't see this ad.
 
It's probably too late, but you need a strong mentor who will push you to get research done and presented/published.

If you want a true academic career (one with protected time for research, clinical, translational or basic and limited clinic/service time), you're going to need to pay for it yourself with grant funding. You're not going to get that without research, pubs/presentations and mentorship...and probably an extra year or two as a super-fellow/instructor after you finish fellowship.

If all you want is to be a FT non-tenure track clinician-educator in an academic setting, do some QI and teaching stuff now and you should be OK.
 
Apply to the many 1 or 2 year fellowships at places like MD Anderson. ie Leukemia fellowship etc, I know a few IMGs who have translated those opportunities into Academic careers coming out of community hem/onc programs.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thank you. I did look into advanced fellowships like leukemia/lymphoma and BMT. But my worry is that these programs might end up using fellows like mid-levels. However, there seems to be an investigational cancer therapeutics fellowship at MDACC which is focused on Phase I/II clinical trials. Does any of you have any advice/experience regarding such a program?
 
Thank you. I did look into advanced fellowships like leukemia/lymphoma and BMT. But my worry is that these programs might end up using fellows like mid-levels. However, there seems to be an investigational cancer therapeutics fellowship at MDACC which is focused on Phase I/II clinical trials. Does any of you have any advice/experience regarding such a program?
There was a user who posted about it every couple of weeks for 6 months a year or so ago, asking for advice. Search for that thread and PM him/her...I can't be bothered to search for it.

I can't speak specifically to the MDAC developmental therapeutics fellowship, but in general, those places are going to work you, because they know you're desperate...and they can.
 
I know of two people in academics who did their fellowships in average or below average programs and then did an extra year or two at one of those advanced fellowship programs. The two I know are in malignant hem. MDACC offers leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma fellowships. Mayo has lymphoma, dysproteinemia and myeloid fellowships as well. There are options in solid malignancies (Thoracic and H&N, GI are what I'm aware of). Now that's N=2 so I don't know if there're a 100 other people who did it and it didn't work out for them. so take this with a grain of salt and don't commit yourself to something like this unless you're more than 100% sure of what you're getting yourself into. These programs are mostly looking for somebody to see tons of patients on a fellow's salary more than they really care about your career.
 
unless you get incredibly lucky, academic career is all about having a research interest and a track record that can lead you to have independent funding. as someone above said, it is likely a little late in the game. i am not sure i understand your reservation against an extra year. most places that offer these fellowships are big enough places that will run just fine without you. on the other hand, it is a difficult choice to stay an extra year at fellow's salary and move (with a possibility of another move in a year), but that's the price you pay.

also, 'academic career' is a fancy word that gets thrown around a bit too much ( i am not going to presume that you are for it or not), but many fellows i know wanted to be an academicians only until they realize i) difficulty in getting funding, ii) pressure to publish, and iii) huge pay gap between academics and PP. you have about some 8-9 months to figure things out. by the time you are a third year, you will need to start looking. it would be advisable to know what direction you are taking.
 
Top