Fellowship Success 101: Focus on These 5 Areas

4. Establish a Network

Because rheumatology is a relatively small specialty, fellows should take advantage of opportunities to network with colleagues and form support systems and interest groups outside their home division. Numerous networking opportunities exist that are free or offer reimbursement for fellows in training. For example, the ACR/ARP Annual Meeting offers fellows in training travel scholarships and awards to subsidize the cost of attendance, and the premeeting FIT Educational Session, which helps fellows navigate the meeting and offers mentoring discussions via round tables, is held just prior to the start of the Annual Meeting.

The ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium and Winter Rheumatology Symposium are smaller conferences that showcase high-impact lectures. Many other conferences sponsored by affiliate societies offer fellows an opportunity to network with established clinicians who share a common passion, such as health policy reform or a specific research interest.

Twitter is an excellent (and free) way to network while sharing knowledge. Several esteemed clinicians and researchers take to Twitter to promote innovative manuscript findings, discuss challenging patients and socialize. Following @ACRheum and @ACR_Journals is a great way to start.

5. Remember the Passion

Although rheumatology is consistently ranked the happiest specialty (obviously), there will be tough times. The most important advice we offer all incoming fellows is to remember why you chose rheumatology as a career: because you love it and take pride in caring for patients affected by autoimmune disease. Find inspiration from your patients every day by listening and reflecting on their courage and bravery as they live and deal with chronic illness. This mindfulness brings us back to the humanistic side of medicine and will help you become a resilient, caring and passionate rheumatologist.

Courtney Crayne, MD, is a pediatric rheumatologist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham/Children’s of Alabama and a member of the ACR Government Affairs Committee.

Amanda Schnell, MD (@schnell_amanda), is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheuma­tology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and a member of the ACR Corporate Relations Committee.