The afternoon continued with another real highlight of the workshop, poster viewing and presentation practice with a faculty member. Just as in the morning, I truly appreciated the dialogue with faculty members and peers, something which is not always possible when presenting at larger conferences. Crucially, this set us in good stead for the networking and reception that evening, during which we presented our work to workshop attendees, faculty and attendees at the Rheumatology Research Foundation meeting, which was taking place in parallel.
The networking reception was an intimate affair, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of larger conferences, set to the backdrop of the buzz of ideas proliferating around the posters. The work I presented, on the multidisciplinary care of people with rheumatoid arthritis, has subsequently been published and formed an important element of the basis of my PhD.1 I certainly give credit to the Rheumatology Research Workshop for critically appraising my work and making me reflect on aspects of the methods and future directions that I had not considered previously.
Pen to Paper
The second day commenced with a test of our ability to summarize our research succinctly—the elevator pitch—followed by a presentation from Max Konig, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, demystifying the ABCs (or rather the Ks and Rs) of grant applications. Key take-home points for me were to remember that grants beget more grants, and 100% of grant applications that are unsubmitted do not get funded—points that are all too easy to forget.
The workshop ended with a division into early- and later-career groups, with yet more invaluable sessions covering bio-sketches, interviews and how to peer review papers. The last of these was particularly useful—peer review for journals is something we are expected to do as we progress through our research career, yet it is not something that is routinely taught at medical school, beyond critical appraisal, nor are there many formal programs on this topic. Ruth Fernandez Ruiz, MD, MS, a rheumatologist with Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, offered a clear and perfectly pitched take on the topic for her audience of early career researchers.
Widened Horizons & New Friendships
With many standout sessions at the Rheumatology Research Workshop, the ultimate highlight for me was the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals at a similar stage of training, as well as those more senior, and to learn from their experiences. As the only international attendee, I really appreciated the warm welcome, and I particularly want to thank Sebastian Sattui, MD, MS, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the director of the UPMC Vasculitis Center, and the Global Engagement Committee, who reached out to me prior to the program.