Newsletter

Leadership Course: Insight into Professional Development

Julie G. Pilitsis, MD PhD, Leadership Course Director, Scientific Program Advisor

Our new preconference Leadership Course at the NANS 22nd Annual Meeting was a great success with a fantastic turnout of residents, fellows, and new attending physicians in both academics and private practice eager to learn new leadership and management skills often left out of medical training. The Leadership Course promoted development and advancement of junior faculty by providing participants the tools to successfully achieve individual goals and further the missions of their department and medical center and by providing insight into professional development and mentoring.

The Leadership Course opened with lectures focused on identifying personal and professional strengths and weaknesses and learning how to utilize these to one’s advantage. Laura Schwietzer, PhD, presented on "Strategic Career Planning" followed by a lecture on the art of "Graceful Self Promotion" with Julie G. Pilitsis, MD PhD. A presentation on "Selling Yourself: CV Writing, Using Technology" with Robert Milner, PhD, examined how to expand on written and verbal communication skills, and their importance in successful achievement of professional goals. Business- and value-oriented presentations on Writing a Business Plan and Value Analysis for You and Your Hospital were given by Joseph S. Neimat, MD MS, and Stephanie G. Vanterpool, MD MBA, respectively. Participants then learned about the inner workings of team building and development from both leadership and junior positions, with lectures on “Managing Up”: Negotiating with your Boss, presented by Laura Schwietzer, PhD, and on Giving and Getting Feedback and Managing Conflict, with Robert Milner, PhD.

The Leadership Course concluded with a lecture on the importance of "Developing a Diverse Leadership Team" by Andre G. Machado, MD PhD, a subject of critical importance in the field of neuromodulation. Attendees left more comfortable advocating for themselves and their teams, and with a strategic plan to advance their careers moving forward. We are excited to offer this course again in 2020 at the 23rd Annual Meeting under a new title, “Professional Development Workshop.” We will again have a number of nationally renowned speakers to serve as faculty, as well as functional neurosurgeons and anesthesia pain physicians who are passionate about leadership and junior faculty development. We thank all of our participants and speakers for the success of the 2019 Leadership Course, and we look forward to seeing you next year in Las Vegas!