Fellows in Training - December 2001
 
 
Top Researcher Offers Career Advice
The recent "How to Become a Cardiovascular Investigator" conference was a jam-packed day and a half. Cosponsored by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the event featured three workshops, three panel discussions, and more than a dozen presentations. For renowned researcher Eugene Braunwald, MD, of Boston, however, advice on launching a research career could be boiled down to 10 key points:
  • Consider a research career only if you see research as an end in itself, not a means to an end. Unless you feel "the thrill of the chase," he warned, you'll burn out.
  • Remember that there's a biological clock for research creativity. Get started early and don't waste time.
  • Look at a lab's track record of producing independent investigators before you make a commitment.
  • Make sure that your first faculty position allows you to devote two-thirds of your time to research. Being forced to generate substantial clinical revenues while conducting research is the "kiss of death."
  • Guard your time once you've got a position. Don't fritter your most precious commodity away on "seductive invitations" to travel and attend meetings unless you're sure doing so will advance your career.
  • Keep up to date on the techniques needed to study your problem. Don't fall into a "have assay, will apply it" mindset.
  • Don't shun the idea of industry-sponsored research. But do remember that its ultimate goal is profit.
  • Understand the difference between investigator- and sponsored-initiated research. While there's nothing wrong with the latter, research means coming up with ideas, not just conducting experiments.
  • Don't get too close to a single company. And don't waste your time starting a company of your own.
  • Reconsider your career choice if you've got nothing to show after two or three years of trying. But don't get discouraged if you don't "knock the ball out of the ballpark the first time you're at bat."
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