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 --> 00:01:01,020 Now introducing your host, Toyosi Onwuemene. 12 00:01:01,020 --> 00:01:03,480 Welcome to today's podcast episode. 13 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:08,200 I'm your host Toyosi Onwuemene, and it is such a privilege to be talking to you today on 14 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,600 the Clinician Researcher podcast. 15 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:11,600 Welcome. 16 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:16,200 Today, I am continuing this series this week of no and yes. 17 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,760 I started out the day before with why you should say no. 18 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,160 And then yesterday, I talked about how to say no. 19 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,580 So why to say no, how to say no. 20 00:01:26,580 --> 00:01:29,840 And today, I'm talking to you about why you should say yes. 21 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,100 And I hear you saying, what? 22 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,920 You said I should say no, and now you're asking me to say yes? 23 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,680 Oh, yes, yes. 24 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:40,320 I definitely am asking you to say yes. 25 00:01:40,320 --> 00:01:42,320 Today, I'm asking you to say yes. 26 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:43,600 And let's talk about it. 27 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,920 So one of the things I talked about, one of the things I talked about that I think is 28 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:56,880 important that we revisit every time is that whenever you say yes, you're also saying no. 29 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:02,880 Because you're a finite person, you've got a specific number of hours in a day, and your 30 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,520 day is probably already committed. 31 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,360 And the moment you say yes to something, what it has to do in order for you to make that 32 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,520 yes happen is to display something else. 33 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,720 You've got to say no to something else. 34 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:19,600 And so if you're already scheduled to be somewhere at 6.30 PM, and an urgent, very critical, 35 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:25,160 nobody can miss it departmental meeting gets called at 6.30, in order for you to make the 36 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:30,060 departmental meeting, you have to say no to the prior engagement. 37 00:02:30,060 --> 00:02:33,800 And so in saying yes to one, you say no to the other. 38 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:39,320 And the challenge for us in academic medicine is that the yes feels pretty easy right this 39 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:40,320 moment. 40 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,000 Because more hidden are the things that we're saying no to. 41 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:50,120 And for people who successfully say no, it's because they understand what the yeses are, 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,920 that they are not willing to say no to by saying yes to something new. 43 00:02:54,920 --> 00:02:58,800 And so no and yes always get together. 44 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,280 They are two sides of the same coin. 45 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,440 No and yes always get together. 46 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,040 They are two sides of the same coin. 47 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Which is why whenever I ask you to say no, what I'm really asking you to do is say yes 48 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,120 and vice versa. 49 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,080 Because you say no to one thing, you're saying yes to another. 50 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,120 And if you say yes to something, you're saying no to the other. 51 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:23,920 And so today I'm here to really talk about why we should say yes. 52 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:25,440 Why we should say yes. 53 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,560 So it's funny sometimes and you may have experienced this. 54 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,600 You'll go to a place and you'll hear someone like me say, always say no, say no, say no, 55 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:33,680 say no. 56 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,240 And to be honest, most of the time if you're in doubt, best to say no. 57 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,160 If you are in doubt, just say no. 58 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,200 If you're saying no out of fear, that's another thing. 59 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,200 And we'll talk a little bit about that today. 60 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,600 But if you are like, I'm not sure what to say, say no. 61 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:51,680 And the reason you want to say no is you want to take time to say yes. 62 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:57,480 So many times when we say yes, we feel like, well, there's no good reason to say no. 63 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:59,800 But really what we should do is flip it. 64 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:00,800 Is flip it. 65 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,320 Is to say, why should I say yes? 66 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:08,320 And we're like, is this opportunity so important that I should say yes to it? 67 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:13,520 And so we're going to talk about clarifying our yes and why we say yes. 68 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:14,520 OK. 69 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:20,120 We can talk about five reasons today for which you should say yes. 70 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,160 Five reasons why you should say yes. 71 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:23,160 OK. 72 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:24,680 So we're clinician scientists, right? 73 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,220 That's my audience here. 74 00:04:26,220 --> 00:04:28,680 And perhaps you're listening or not a clinician scientist. 75 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,960 There is a thing that is really important to you to advance. 76 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,640 The thing that if you don't do, nobody else will do. 77 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:41,520 It's not to say that the problem won't be solved, but your flavor, your solution, the 78 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:47,320 unique perspective you bring to that solution will not move forward except you move it forward. 79 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,120 Let's for example, say Steve Jobs was like, you know what? 80 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,200 I don't really want to do this Apple computers thing. 81 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,760 I don't even know where it's going to go. 82 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,320 I'm not going to do it. 83 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:56,560 Where would the world be today? 84 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,760 The world would be without Steve Jobs and Apple. 85 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,320 Now, would the world advance? 86 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:01,600 It totally would. 87 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,520 Somebody else at some point would have discovered some of the things that he did. 88 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,120 In fact, there have been computer companies around for a long time, right? 89 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,680 If there was no Apple, they would still probably be a Microsoft. 90 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,200 There probably would still be a Lenovo. 91 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,840 And so there are all these companies that would still exist kind of providing the same 92 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:19,840 service. 93 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:25,240 But what would be missing is the unique flavor that someone like Steve Jobs brought. 94 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:26,240 Right. 95 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:31,880 He was able to create a company that was unique because of the kind of person that he was. 96 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:33,600 It's the same thing about your research. 97 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,280 Okay, you may be working in diabetes research and to be honest, there were a lot of researchers 98 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:43,600 in that space, but what you bring to the table is not replaceable. 99 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:48,280 It's just not because it's you and the questions that you have are different from the questions 100 00:05:48,280 --> 00:05:49,480 other people have. 101 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,960 The things that you feel like are most important are different from what other people feel 102 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:53,960 are important. 103 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,640 The reasons you come to your science are different from other people as well. 104 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:06,440 And so what I'm talking about saying yes to first and foremost is the work that you can 105 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:12,720 do to move your ideas, your impact forward. 106 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:19,200 Because when we really stop to think about it, this is really about impact. 107 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,440 This is really about contribution. 108 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,960 This is really about a sense of purpose. 109 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:25,960 That's what this is about. 110 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,960 We're not just doing research to say, I did research. 111 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,720 We're not doing research to say, okay, will you promote me now? 112 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,760 And if you're doing that, I'm just going to invite you to please reconsider. 113 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:44,480 Don't do, I mean, I want to just say, I have to go back now and tell you and remind you 114 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,360 how hard it has been to be in medicine. 115 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:48,360 It's been fun. 116 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:49,360 It's been awesome. 117 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:51,920 I've been with patients, but it can be super hard. 118 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:56,180 And if you were looking for easier things to do in life, you could totally go do that. 119 00:06:56,180 --> 00:07:01,440 And so you've done a lot of hard things in medicine and it's time to do things that give 120 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:07,220 you a sense of energy and purpose and help you feel like you're contributing. 121 00:07:07,220 --> 00:07:12,880 And so for how hard we work, for the things that we do, it is really important that you 122 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:17,340 do the things that really serve you, that really help you move forward. 123 00:07:17,340 --> 00:07:21,480 And yes, I know that in life we may never be able to completely get rid of the things 124 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:26,220 we do out of obligation, but I'm going to say the further you are from your training, 125 00:07:26,220 --> 00:07:29,960 the fewer things you should be doing out of a sense of obligation. 126 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:35,040 So the work you do is really because you've come to have impact. 127 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,800 It's really because you want to make a difference. 128 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,980 For that reason, that work is important. 129 00:07:39,980 --> 00:07:44,400 If you do not come to it, if you don't move the work forward, it likely will not move 130 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:47,240 forward in the way that you're going to move it forward. 131 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:52,040 It will not have the kind of impact that you would have brought to it. 132 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,180 For that reason, you should say yes. 133 00:07:55,180 --> 00:08:02,160 The thing you should absolutely always say yes to is your scientific career. 134 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:06,840 Because as a clinician scientist, you are always on the verge of breakthrough. 135 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,040 And it doesn't ever feel like breakthrough because you know that then there's a next 136 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:12,760 breakthrough, there's a next breakthrough after that. 137 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,840 And sometimes the breakthroughs look like one grant to the next grant to the next grant. 138 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:20,360 It's like one rejected manuscript to the next rejection to the next rejection. 139 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,080 It doesn't feel like a breakthrough. 140 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:29,560 You're always on the verge of the breakthrough because small increments lead you closer to 141 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,440 where you want to be. 142 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,740 And sometimes we criticize scientists who are like, oh, this is incremental. 143 00:08:34,740 --> 00:08:37,120 In reality, all of life is incremental. 144 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,960 Even when you're taking giant steps, you can only take a small step and then the next step 145 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:42,960 and then the next step. 146 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,760 And wow, a couple of steps later, it is a giant step. 147 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:48,920 But it always starts small. 148 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:55,480 So I want to say the very, very, very first thing you want to say yes to is your work, 149 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,640 your work, not somebody else's work. 150 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,280 And this is where it can be challenging when we have research mentors and we're helping 151 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,240 and moving their work forward. 152 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:08,680 Ultimately, our goal is to come into our own. 153 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:14,920 And so your mentor's work cannot take precedence over your work if you're clear about what 154 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:16,720 your work is. 155 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:21,960 And yes, it may be that for a season, your work and your mentor's work overlap until 156 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,240 you separate and become who you are. 157 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:30,920 But ultimately, your purpose is to stand as your own independent scientist. 158 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:36,400 And so advancing the knowledge from the perspective that you bring is so key. 159 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,640 It is the one thing you should always say yes to. 160 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:43,160 Okay, that's number one. 161 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,800 Number two is you should say yes to improving patient outcomes. 162 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,720 I want to say that again. 163 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,700 You should say yes to improving patient outcomes. 164 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:54,000 And sometimes you do it through your work, through your research. 165 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:55,360 Many of us do it through our research. 166 00:09:55,360 --> 00:10:03,060 Like our research is really founded on improving patients' lives, improving patient care. 167 00:10:03,060 --> 00:10:07,160 And your improving patient outcomes could be your clinical work. 168 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,280 And so as a clinician scientist, you probably are still seeing patients in one shape or 169 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,080 another, and advancing patient care is important. 170 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:18,440 So you should say yes to improving patient outcomes. 171 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:24,240 But here's the thing you should not say yes to, busy work that looks like patient care. 172 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:30,440 So let's take a step back and recognize that to care for a patient well, a lot is needed. 173 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:33,760 Time is needed to spend on the phone with insurance companies. 174 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,340 Time is needed to follow up lab results. 175 00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:37,880 Time is needed to call patients. 176 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,720 And sometimes you play phone tag. 177 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,440 And those are all important things. 178 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:48,320 However, not all those important things need to be done by you. 179 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,840 Not all those important things need to be done by you. 180 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:52,520 And here's the challenge. 181 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:58,540 The more you do these important things that are not supposed to be done by you, the less 182 00:10:58,540 --> 00:11:01,800 you can do the important things that only you can do. 183 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,540 And so I want you to say yes to improving patient outcomes, but no to the things that 184 00:11:06,540 --> 00:11:09,080 actually diminish your ability to do that. 185 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,520 And you may be asking, yeah, how do I do that? 186 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:12,760 That's super hard. 187 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:13,760 And I don't have all the answers. 188 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,160 I'm not really here to tell you I have all the answers. 189 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,600 I'm still figuring it out myself. 190 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:26,240 But how do you shrink all the busy work that masquerades as patient care so that you can 191 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,460 really do the work of advancing patient outcomes? 192 00:11:30,460 --> 00:11:32,800 And so say yes to patient outcomes. 193 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,120 And because you're going to improve patient outcomes by saying yes to improving them, 194 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,520 what are you going to drop so you can do that well? 195 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:49,440 For example, if you in a half day of clinic are able to see, let's say, 10 patients, 196 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:55,280 returns, mix of returns and news, whatever, you're able to see 10 patients. 197 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:57,520 That's your highest priority. 198 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:03,680 And the things that lead you away from caring for those 10 patients, not as important. 199 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,400 And here invariably is what happens. 200 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:11,280 You get three phone calls of someone who's waiting on lab orders to be released and know 201 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,200 it has to be done now because the patient is waiting. 202 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:20,140 And oh, did you hear that that critical lab result just got called in, but they didn't 203 00:12:20,140 --> 00:12:21,140 give you a phone number. 204 00:12:21,140 --> 00:12:25,080 So now you have to play page or phone tag. 205 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:32,320 All those things are distractions from your ability to move patient care forward. 206 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:39,520 And I want you to think critically about how you make them smaller for you so that you 207 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:46,320 can do the real work of seeing patients, of enhancing patient outcomes, especially through 208 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,360 your research as a clinician scientist. 209 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,960 And even when you're in the clinic, making sure that you have the resources that you 210 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:59,240 need to support these important things that need to happen, but may not need to be done 211 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:00,240 by you. 212 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:01,240 OK. 213 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:02,240 So that's number two. 214 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,080 Number three is to say yes to your career growth and development. 215 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:11,880 If it moves you forward, if it helps you learn a new technique, a new way of thinking, a 216 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,120 new way of being, a new way of doing, say yes to it. 217 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,080 If it comes to career growth and development, you definitely say yes. 218 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,840 You make space so that you can grow. 219 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:22,600 Because here's the thing. 220 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:27,440 You've heard that quote, and I think it came from Abraham Lincoln, but maybe it came from 221 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,200 someone else before him. 222 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:35,860 It says, if you ask me to chop down a tree, I'm going to first of all spend like most 223 00:13:35,860 --> 00:13:39,640 of the time sharpening the axe before I cut the tree. 224 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:44,980 Career growth and development, professional development opportunities, that's you sharpening 225 00:13:44,980 --> 00:13:46,240 the axe. 226 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:49,840 That's you saying I'm about to get better because the moment I get better, everything 227 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,160 gets better. 228 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,460 You always say yes to career growth and development. 229 00:13:54,460 --> 00:13:55,460 Always say yes. 230 00:13:55,460 --> 00:13:59,440 Now, there are three offerings all happening at the same time, which are going to stretch 231 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:00,440 you to the max. 232 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,640 Well, yes, you say yes, but not all at the same time. 233 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:08,920 You choose the one that makes the most sense for you right now, and you say yes to the 234 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:10,680 other ones at a later time. 235 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:16,040 So yes, it is possible that some people overwhelm themselves with so many career growth and 236 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:17,800 professional development opportunities. 237 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:23,280 I may be one of those people secretly in hiding, but they are important because they help you 238 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:29,760 grow and because they do, you say yes to them and you find a way to make it work because 239 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:36,160 the moment you sharpen your focus, the moment you learn to manage time better, the moment 240 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:43,080 you learn to prioritize what is most important, your life changes and the lives of everybody 241 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:45,280 around you changes as well. 242 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:50,320 And so yes, yes, yes, yes to career growth and development. 243 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,000 Okay, number four. 244 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:58,080 Number four is saying yes to new relationships. 245 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,660 Saying yes to new relationships. 246 00:15:00,660 --> 00:15:03,280 There is a famous quote, and I don't know who said it. 247 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,600 If I find it, I will put it in the show notes. 248 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:10,560 But there's a famous quote about the three things that are so important in life are the 249 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:15,040 people you meet, the places you go and the books you read. 250 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,000 And at the end of the day, I would say that it's really just one thing that's most important. 251 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,340 It's the people you meet, right? 252 00:15:21,340 --> 00:15:26,120 You may meet people in person or you may go to places where other people like you have 253 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,880 solved problems in a different way. 254 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,300 We all have similar problems, but when we travel to different places, we see how other 255 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:34,800 people have solved them. 256 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:37,160 So it's still the common denominator, still people. 257 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,240 And then when you read books, it is people who've put these books together. 258 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:46,100 Therefore, the common denominator again is people. 259 00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:49,320 People will change your life. 260 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,400 People will take you to the next level. 261 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,880 People will enhance your research. 262 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:59,880 Collaborations are amazing when they're with the right people. 263 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:06,280 And so meeting people, enhancing your relationships is something you should totally say yes to. 264 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:07,800 And here's the thing. 265 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:14,020 You always want to say yes to these network opportunities, networking opportunities that 266 00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:16,960 happen outside your institution. 267 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,600 I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being friends with the people at your institution 268 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,560 or establishing collaborations within your institution. 269 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:29,120 There's so many amazing collaborations to be had at your own institution. 270 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,560 However, there's a bigger bang for your buck when you go outside. 271 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,440 The reason being is that the people in your institution think a certain way. 272 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:38,760 It's like the fish in the water. 273 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:40,760 You're like, wait, what water? 274 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:41,760 Right? 275 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:43,120 You're surrounded by water. 276 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:44,520 And so you don't think much of the water. 277 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,280 And that's the same thing with your institutional culture. 278 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,960 There's a way you all think that's very, very similar. 279 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:55,520 And so if you're going to have the kind of collaborative relationship that transforms 280 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,520 your thinking, you go to a place where the culture is different. 281 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:04,760 And that is why meeting people and say, I tried not to say the networking word that 282 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,680 makes everybody so worried and anxious and afraid. 283 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:09,440 It really is just about relationships. 284 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:10,440 It really is. 285 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,200 And how do you build relationships? 286 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,460 You don't always have to go to conferences and look for people's cards to be handed 287 00:17:15,460 --> 00:17:23,720 out to you when you volunteer to be on committees or you whatever opportunity you have to connect 288 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,560 with people, take it. 289 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:30,720 And don't think about it as, oh, gosh, I've got to network because the energy that that 290 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,800 brings is no good for relationships. 291 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,120 I mean, really, you meet someone who's like, oh, my goodness, I have to talk to you. 292 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:40,240 And tell me how far that relationship is going to go. 293 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,000 Tell me how far that relationship is going to go. 294 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,000 Right. 295 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,160 Ultimately, you do want to connect with people, whatever you want to call it to make it feel 296 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:49,200 more palatable. 297 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:50,400 You should. 298 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,040 But meeting people is so important. 299 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:54,040 OK. 300 00:17:54,040 --> 00:18:00,680 So always say yes to new relationships because what they do is they expand your horizons. 301 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,840 They make you a better person. 302 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,320 All right. 303 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,840 Number five is saying yes to the future. 304 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,960 Saying yes to you, your future, your legacy. 305 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,200 It's saying yes to that. 306 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,600 It's saying yes to yourself 40 years from now. 307 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:21,360 And you look back and say, I made these choices. 308 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:24,720 I am grateful for the choices I made. 309 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:29,440 And the reason we want to make sure that we're clearly saying yes to our future self is because 310 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:35,800 many of the relationships we neglect today are critical to that future self. 311 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:42,800 And so on the path to research success, on the path to academic success, what we never 312 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:49,480 want to do is to neglect the relationships that are so easy to take for granted. 313 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:54,560 We don't want to neglect the relationships with our bodies because our bodies 40 years 314 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,300 from now are going to be looking at us saying, this is what you did. 315 00:18:57,300 --> 00:18:59,640 This is how you did. 316 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:02,960 We're experiencing this together. 317 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:06,200 40 years from now, your children are going to say, I don't remember. 318 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,280 I just don't remember you at home ever. 319 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,500 40 years from now, maybe they're going to be grandchildren who say, I don't really know 320 00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:18,240 grandpa because my dad doesn't really get along well with grandpa. 321 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:19,240 Right? 322 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:23,780 What you want to do is look to the future and say yes to your legacy. 323 00:19:23,780 --> 00:19:31,360 And these are the things that are so important to consider as we are considering our careers 324 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:36,280 is to be so clear about what this yes is so that we're not confused when other nos come 325 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,680 in to try to steal it from us. 326 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:44,360 So just to summarize, number one is to say yes to your work, your work of advancing scientific 327 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:48,220 knowledge, the work that's you, that's uniquely you. 328 00:19:48,220 --> 00:19:50,800 Say yes to improving patient outcomes. 329 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:55,680 Say yes to helping the patient, but don't accept the yes of the stuff that's busy work 330 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,680 that's not directly related to patient care. 331 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:04,320 Say yes, but see who else can help you say yes to those other things that are not exclusively 332 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,840 the things that you can do. 333 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,000 Say yes to your career growth and development. 334 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:15,160 That's number three, because as you transform, all your life transforms alongside it. 335 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:21,120 Number four is to say yes to new relationships because networking is so important because 336 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:26,160 it expands your horizons and it's important to make sure you're doing it outside of your 337 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:27,160 institution. 338 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:33,080 And number five is saying yes to the future, saying yes to the legacy that you're going 339 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:34,080 to leave behind. 340 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,600 And it's going to be a healthy legacy. 341 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,560 It's going to be healthy in terms of your finances. 342 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,720 I didn't even talk about that. 343 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,360 It's going to be healthy in terms of your personal relationships right now that are 344 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:46,720 easy to take for granted. 345 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:51,120 And it's also going to be healthy in terms of your relationship to your body. 346 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:52,960 All right. 347 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:57,040 Somebody else needs to hear this podcast episode and you should share it with them. 348 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:02,560 And if you are looking for a coach who can help you navigate as you build your career 349 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:08,560 and as a clinician scientist, I would love to work with you. 350 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:09,960 You should send me a DM. 351 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:17,000 Better still, leave a voicemail on our podcast website, clinicianresearcherpodcast.com. 352 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:22,040 Share something insightful that comes to you at the end of listening to this episode so 353 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,440 that I can incorporate it into a future episode. 354 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:25,440 All right. 355 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,080 It's been a pleasure talking with you today. 356 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:39,480 I look forward to speaking with you again the next time. 357 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:44,840 Thanks for listening to this episode of the Clinician Researcher Podcast where academic 358 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,960 clinicians learn the skills to build their own research program, whether or not they 359 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,640 have a mentor. 360 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:57,760 If you found the information in this episode to be helpful, don't keep it all to yourself. 361 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,520 Someone else needs to hear it. 362 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:03,560 So take a minute right now and share it. 363 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:09,000 As you share this episode, you become part of our mission to help launch a new generation 364 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:21,880 of clinician researchers who make transformative discoveries that change the way we do healthcare.