Join a LinkedIn Group

Author: Michelle Mudge-Riley, DO, MHA

How do you find the right LinkedIn groups to join? You’ve put together your LinkedIn profile. You have a professional picture on your profile. So what’s next? Have you joined any groups?

LinkedIn groups are informal communities of like-minded people based around a common industry, topic, profession or geography. There are hundreds of thousands of groups.

ACRP 2012 Global Conference

Register for the ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals) 2012 Global Conference & Exhibition by December 31 and save $200 with Early-Bird rates.

ACRP 2012 Global Conference
April 14-17, 2012 – Houston, Texas, USA

The program for the ACRP 2012 Global Conference features more than 125 sessions covering 12 Topic Areas – all delivered by leading speakers.

You can register for ACRP 2012 here.

Experience two sesssions from the ACRP 2011 Global Conference & Exhibition for FREE through April 1, 2012. Free sessions include:

• Innovation & Global Health, featuring Tachi Yamada, MD, President, Global Health Program, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Regulatory Affairs Public Forum, featuring representatives from global regulatory agencies addressing issues facing clinical trials

You can view these sessions here.

How does your salary affect your overall job happiness?

These days, doctor salaries are under scrutiny because of the public perception that highly-compensated physicians are driving up health care costs. The reality is that there are some physicians who work full-time and don't even generate a six-figure salary. Of course, there are also medical specialists and subspecialists who generate well over $300,000 to 400,000 each year. I also know some physicians who essentially work 2 jobs (a standard job + moonlighting so much that they're over 80 hrs/week). They make a lot of money, but they're always working.

How does your salary affect your overall job happiness?  If you feel underpaid, that's one thing. If you feel that your salary is a "fair" salary for the type of work you do, then how much happier would you be if your salary went up? How much higher would it need to go up in order for you to feel a sense of greater happiness?

Tufts Postgraduate Course in Clinical Pharmacology, Drug Development, and Regulation

Do you have a strong interest in Clinical Pharmacology, Drug Development, or Regulation? Perhaps you may want to consider attending the Tufts Postgraduate Course in Clinical Pharmacology, Drug Development, and Regulation.

February 6-10, 2012
TAJ Boston Hotel
Boston, MA

Tufts CSDD's highly acclaimed, five-day Postgraduate Course provides advanced instruction in practical and technical problem-solving in the areas of clinical pharmacology, drug development, clinical trial design, and new drug regulation. Continuing education credit is offered for physicians.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

NEJM: Physician Executive Career Options Abound

There's an article in the NEJM Career Center titled, "Physician Executive Career Options Abound."

This article highlights some of the "demand for health care leaders with clinical experience and the desire to facilitate systemic change." The author starts by summarizing comments from Barry Silbaugh, MD, former CEO of the of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE).

Here's the bottom line:

• Management roles are increasing in the health care industry because of health care reform, health IT integration, need for value-based care, evolving care models like ACOs and PCMH, etc.
• Career paths in medical management can be very diverse. 
• Physicians from almost any specialty can find a role in medical management.
• Having formal education in management is very beneficial (but not necessarily essential, as long as you can demonstrate competency in areas like accounting, finance, organizational development, etc.).
• A career in medical management is not for everyone. So, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

Interested in a career in medical management? I'd strongly recommend the American College of Physicians Executives (ACPE) as a professional resource and membership organization: www.acpe.org

Don't miss this unique & exciting conference this spring!

I'd like to tell you about a unique and exciting conference this spring. You won't want to miss this opportunity to gain critical business skills in the world of medicine:

The Medical Entrepreneur Symposium
Thursday, March 29, 2012 - Sunday, April 01, 2012
Delray Beach, Florida

This is the first business meeting of its kind for physicians, residents, entrepreneurs, and other healthcare professionals. This unique meeting will be focused entirely on helping physicians gain knowledge in all the components necessary to be successful in any healthcare related business, in their medical practice, in practice management, and in healthcare related entrepreneurial ventures.

The course director is Steven M. Hacker, MD, author of "The Medical Entrepreneur: Pearls, Pitfalls, and Practical Business Advice for Doctors."

Register before Thanksgiving & save $400. Also, use the discount code "NCJ2012" to save 10%!

You may view the 3-day agenda here.

For more information, visit www.TheMedicalEntrepreneur.com