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looking for new ophthalmologists who would like to participate in some stage of drug or device development." Start small. The higher profile the talk, the less likely someone is to take a chance on an unknown person. "It is difficult for moder - tors or program planners to take a chance on someone they've never heard speak before," Ms. Beiting said. "They want to know that you know your stuff, that you can command the room, that you're a good speaker, and that you're easy to work with. All of those are im- portant characteristics for would-be speakers to begin to demonstrate in lower-profile talks." At the end of the day, speak- ing at the podium and becoming a leader will benefit your patients and allow you to have a greater impact on the direction the field will take. "The influence that you would gain by speaking more at the podium, being an advisor, a consultant, or participating in a clinical research protocol, it's all about the patients— your patients," Dr. Orr said. "What you're doing is influencing the trends in ophthalmology vis-a-vis your comments and insights into new technologies, research, and discoveries. That's a major role to play." EW Editors' note: Dr. Colby, Dr. Orr, and Ms. Beiting have no financial interests related to this article. Contact information: Colby: kathryn_colby@meei.harvard.edu Orr: SOrr7@its.jnj.com Beiting: jan@wordsmithconsulting.com planners, there may not be room for it at a major meeting, she said. Instead, look at what topics are trending or what topics have few experts. "You have to be open to what presents itself to you," Dr. Colby said. Publish. Whether it is a basic science paper, clinical trial out- comes, or a review, the best thing to do is publish, said Dr. Colby. "There is no way that someone who has not published some substantive work is going to get on the podium in a major academic meeting." Get involved in clinical trials. "The entry point for anyone who wants to become engaged with industry, become involved in products, and speak about them to your colleagues is becoming a clinical investigator," Dr. Orr said. As an early adopter of new technol- ogies, others will want to hear about your experience and learn from your mistakes and successes. "Often you'll see that industry puts someone on the podium who has been involved in the trial, so they've got the most procedures un- der their belt or the most experience with that product. When it goes to market, [that person] can actually speak from experience instead of reading the package insert," she said. Getting involved in clinical trials requires taking the initiative, Dr. Orr added—so call an industry representative to find out how you can get involved or visit the booth of the company you want to work with at a major academic meeting. "They will find the person you need to talk to," Dr. Orr said. "They want you to be engaged. They're always EyeWorld @EWNews Keep up on the latest in ophthalmology! Follow EyeWorld on Twitter at twitter.com/EWNews