Being a Leader: Organizing a Basic Science Research Program

Abstract

Success as an academic surgeon-scientist traditionally requires balance of patient care, teaching, research, and administration, further requiring balance of one’s time, money, and environmental resources. A career focusing on basic science research requires a diverse skill set that critically requires similarly diverse training and is dependent on dedicated time and mentorship. Long-term academic success typically depends on success during one’s early faculty years to ensure academic survival and is similarly dependent on the environment of the section, department, and university to control clinical volume and maintain time for research. Management of one’s time and personnel remains a challenge throughout one’s career but provides the environment to keep pushing the boundaries of research and academics.