EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
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OPHTHALMOLOGY BUSINESS 126 October 2014 in ophthalmology practice, industry, and educational planning shared their pearls for navigating a path to the podium and becoming a key opinion leader in ophthalmology and the subspecialty arena. Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infi - mary, Boston, gave advice from the perspective of a physician and opinion leader in the field of cornea. A frequent podium speaker, Dr. Colby is a member of the board of directors of the Cornea Society and the chair of the cornea section of the American Academy of Ophthalmol- ogy (AAO) annual meeting program committee. She is active in selecting instruction courses and free papers for the AAO's annual meeting and symposia for meetings of the Cornea Society. Susan Orr, OD, global medi- cal affairs leader & strategy, search & evaluation, ophthalmology at Experts in practice and industry share tips for securing speaking invitations H aving a podium presence in ophthalmology—and in any field—gives a person the opportunity to not only share knowledge, but to become a key opinion leader in a specific discipline. Speaking at conferences, meetings, and CME events imparts confidence, visibilit , and influence to the speaker crucial skills necessary to advance both an eyecare career and the field of ophthalmology itself. Securing podium invites can be challenging, however, especially in a highly competitive field with many talented specialists. At the Women in Ophthalmology (WIO) 2014 Summer Symposium, leaders by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer Creating a path to the podium of surgery, along with corneal trans- plants, which could last an hour to an hour and half, he would play lon- ger classical pieces like symphonies or operas. Now, with shorter surgery times, he tends to play short pieces like overtures or concertos. Dr. Lass said only a small per- centage of the population listens to classical music on a regular basis. But he likes to expose people to great music, and he can educate his entire surgical team about the music that is playing. As far as choosing pieces to play, Dr. Lass said it varies depending on how he's feeling on any particular day, and the time of year can also play a role. "I might bring out pieces related to spring at springtime or play Christmas music during the holidays. I might focus on one com- poser and play certain pieces from that composer in a day," he said. As a cellist in the World Doctors Orchestra, an international orches- tra comprised of doctors from 50 countries, Dr. Lass plays selections from upcoming performances, such as Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, which they will play in November in Santiago, Chile. Meanwhile, Dr. Hamill said he prefers to play rock 'n' roll during his surgeries. He added that it's not "head-banging, heavy-metal" rock 'n' roll music, but he listens to a lot of Rolling Stones, and both old and new music. "We have an iPod that shuffles songs with a variety of music all the way from the 1950s to 2 months ago," he said. "I think it helps even out the tensions and anxieties of both the surgeon and the staff," he said. "When you go to most oper- ating rooms, you're going to hear music," Dr. Hamill said, adding that almost every OR he has ever worked in had some kind of setup for playing music. EW Contact information Hamill: mhamill@bcm.edu Lass: Jonathan.Lass@UHhospitals.org Music continued from page 124 Dr. Colby recommends that ophthalmologists join and become active in specialty societies. Dr. Orr recommends adopting new technologies and participating in clinical trials. Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, shared tips from an industry perspective. Dr. Orr has vast experience in clinical trials, clinical pharmacology, new product development, and marketing for the ophthalmic pharmaceutical industry. Jan Beiting, principal at Wordsmith Consulting, provided the point of view of an education- al content developer and program planner. She provides editorial assistance and develops education content in ophthalmology and optometry, writes abstracts, presen- tations, CME symposia, and assists in selecting faculty and moderators for major academic meetings. Pearls for grabbing that podium invite Join societies and become active. Join subspecialty societies, go to meetings, and sign up for commit- tees, said Dr. Colby. "I got my start in the Cornea Society by just show- ing up and being interested. Then when there was a job to do, like judging papers at the meeting of the Cornea Society, I did it," she said. It is also helpful to get to know people in the society and find a mentor who can help you, she added. Develop a niche. Think about what topic interests you and observe what most affects your patient population, Dr. Colby said. A niche doesn't have to be a certain field of study; it could even be training residents to do a particular proce- dure. "You want to develop a niche so that when people think of that topic, they think, 'This is the person I want to speak about that,'" she said. Be sure to pick a topic or specialty that is noteworthy and trending, Ms. Beiting added. If the topic you're interested in is not a compelling subject to program Ms. Beiting describes the changing demographics of ophthalmology and the need for more diversity at the podium. Source (all): EyeWorld