with support from leadership within the society. Be friendly and social at your meetings and connect with some sponsors!
B.4. Conclusion Academic urology can be an extremely rewarding career path. It basically boils down to a focused clinical/research interest that you then promote within your division, hospital system and society by way of clinical practice and research and presentation. For those interested in additional reading regarding a career in academic medicine, consider Dr. Joseph V. Simone’s work, “Understanding Academic Medical Centers: Simone’s Maxims” (Clinical Cancer Research 1999; 5(9): 2281-2285). WATCH: Julie Riley, MD, discusses academic practice as part of the AUA2019 Young Urologists Forum program.
APPENDIX C: MORE ABOUT RESEARCH The field of urology prides itself on being a champion of medical progress. Urologists have received two Nobel Prizes and have made significant advances in the understanding of diseases and applications of novel technologies. In fact, contemporary urologic research takes on many forms: basic science, translational science, clinical research, and health sciences/comparative effectiveness research are just some areas of scientific investigation that urology surgeon-scientists pursue.
C.1 Rewards and Challenges Participating in research is central to the job satisfaction of many physicians. The opportunity to advance medicine, be on the cutting-edge of clinical care and immersed in the world of ideas clearly satisfies some of the intrinsic rewards that many physicians sought when entering medicine. Furthermore, success in research also affords opportunities for leadership roles within one’s institution and professional groups, and often offers a seat at the table with policy makers and industry leaders. Importantly, physician researchers continue to remain leaders in training the next generation of practitioners. Participation in research clearly has its well-known challenges, such as decreased funding opportunities, a smaller number of like-minded peers, “publish or perish” pressures and a limited number of role models and mentors. In addition, institutions are financially challenged to support non-grant funded clinical research. The research
community is increasing outside of urology and, in some instances, conducting research requires foregoing income from clinical activities. As such, individuals motivated to establish a dynamic research career must be well informed and well prepared for the challenges ahead.
C.2 Research as a Job Function After completing residency/fellowship, the new practicing urologist interested in pursuing research is faced with a new challenge: how to efficiently and productively manage both a clinical practice and a research program and best prepare for longterm success. Two major goals of a clinical practice are to make sure one can provide effective and safe care as well as be available to patients and their families. One of the major objectives of a research program is to pursue discovery that will impact current knowledge while contributing to the future well-being of patients. Nonetheless, both areas have to be financially viable and sustainable long-term. When considering a career with a significant research component, junior faculty members should have a clear understanding of several factors that are critical to success: • Finding a mentor, or better yet a collection of mentors with strengths in different areas, is the first and probably most important step. Mentors are individuals who have “been there and done that” and can provide crucial career and research guidance to you. • Know exactly what type of institutional support/ commitment each potential job is willing to provide (e.g., startup funds, cost-sharing of salary short falls, etc.). • Assess the types of resources that are available. For example, will you have to start your own tumor bank or can you draw on an existing one? Is there a database already established or will you need to build one on your own? • Surveying potential collaborations available institutionally or regionally (e.g., other institutes, industry, etc.) is key. The strength of each must be weighed against the type of research you want to pursue as well as your ultimate career goals.
C.3 Obtaining Funding Numerous public and private sources support scientific studies and young researchers. These include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s largest funder of academic research,
42 The American Urological Association
