In the final session of SightLine at ASCRS, Raj Rajpal, MD, led a discussion with Vance Thompson, MD, Michael Rivers, MD, Elizabeth Yeu, MD, Steve Schallhorn, MD, and Cathleen McCabe, MD.
During the session, panelists shared advice that they would give to someone interested in getting involved beyond clinical practice.
Dr. Schallhorn said he commonly gets asked by young ophthalmologists how to get involved with industry. First, he tells them that “it’s work.” You have to show value to the company, and they’ll put value in you and what you do. It’s a mutual relationship, he said. This means waking up early and doing extra work, showing up, and answering phone calls and emails.
Source: ASCRS
Another element of this is to start in clinical research. Publishing is another great way to get involved, he said. It’s a lot of work to get started, but from a company’s perspective, they want honest, square opinions, Dr. Schallhorn said. They don’t want someone to just tell them what you think they want to hear.
Dr. McCabe expanded on this, saying that she would recommend that surgeons be authentic, truthful, and reliable, and to hold confidentiality dear. You don’t want to speak to one set of people confidentially and share that with others. “Be your authentic self and get involved in things you’re truly passionate about,” she said.
Dr. Yeu said you have to recognize the reason that you want to be involved. If it’s to just be the center of attention at the podium, that’s not the reason to do it, she said.
She added that being a consultant lets you practice medicine and work with multiple companies. There is also the option to “go deep” with one company if that is your interest.
Dr. Rivers emphasized that physicians provide a different voice at the table, and there are a lot of opportunities for younger physicians. He said industry needs to understand that physician businesses are different. For example, in terms of making a better software company, industry can write and design software, but they need to understand the uniqueness of physician businesses.
To the younger physicians, Dr. Thompson offered the following advice: “Be good at what you do. Work hard, study, and keep doing that, and be curious and communicate.” Industry is out there, he said, adding that he enjoys working with industry and the relationships he has. He also enjoys attending national meetings. We’re all trying to figure out how to be better for the future of patient care, he said, and societies help play a role in this.
“I like patient care because of all the joy I get from research and consulting and meetings,” he said. “The mixture is beautiful.”
