Neurology Nuts and Bolts: Constructing Your Career

Harry Sutherland discussed tele-EEG work with epileptologists Drs. Audrey Nath, Andrea Lowden, and Josh Gallardo. They discuss the advantages of this work, how they got into it and what they like about it, the nitty gritty of contracts, pay, malpractice, and more!

Sagari Betté discusses finding your first job with Dr. Anant Wadwha, neurologist in Boise, Idaho, and Dr. Abhimanyu Mahajan, neurologist at University of Cincinatti. They talk about where to find out about jobs, the role of networking, and what went into their ultimate decisions.

Sara Schaefer discusses medical expert work with Dr. Amy Fogelman, founder of High Rock Experts and High Rock Academy (medical expert consulting firm and educational platform), and Dr. Jill Cramer, neurologist and medical expert in Virginia. 

In this episode, Thu Vu speaks to Dr. Pritha Ghosh, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at George Washington University, and Dr. Joseph Safdieh, Associate Dean of Curricular Affairs at Weill Cornell Medical College, about their jobs in the Dean's office. They discuss types of deans, what led them down this career path, and what they enjoy about their work.

Sara Schaefer discusses with Dr. Cassandra Curtis how it works when you are asked to be a fact witness in a medical legal case, including the difference between a fact witness and an expert witness, what you may be asked to do, what you should not do, and how best to communicate with the attorneys involved.

In Part I of this episode bundle on standardized testing, we discussed building an examination, and in Part II we discuss item writing with Drs. Ray Price, Chair of the American Academy of Neurology Resident-in-Training-Examination (RITE) Committee and Jeremy Moeller, former Chair of the American Epilepsy Society Assessments and Examinations Committee, which produces the epilepsy Fellow-in-Training-Examination (EpiFITE). 

In Part I of this episode bundle on standardized testing, we discuss building an examination with Drs. Ray Price, Chair of the American Academy of Neurology Resident-in-Training-Examination (RITE) Committee and Jeremy Moeller, former Chair of the American Epilepsy Society Assessments and Examinations Committee, which produces the epilepsy Fellow-in-Training-Examination (EpiFITE). Part II will discuss item writing for multiple choice examinations.

Kathryn Moore discusses careers in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Drs. Andrew Spector and Camilo Gutierrez, Diversity Officers at Duke University and The University of Maryland respectively, and co-chairs of the American Academy of Neurology Subcommittee of Academic DEI Officers. They discuss what got them into the field, why they love what they do, the importance of having a seat at the table, and the current and future challenges and opportunities in DEI.

Sara Schaefer discusses doing multiple fellowships with Dr. Akanksha Sharma, neuro-oncologist and palliative medicine specialist, and Dr. Chantale Branson, movement disorders and sleep medicine specialist. They discuss the ups and downs of doing multiple fellowships, job hunting, practicing, and the reasons they chose to pursue this path.

Katherine Fu speaks with Dr. Maisha Robinson, who has deep involvement with the American Academy of Neurology, and Dr. Shilpa Chitnis, who has served in many roles within the American Academy of Neurology and the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. They discuss motivations to get involved, ways to break in and move up in an organization, fellows status, and more.

Sara Schaefer discusses the subspecialty of sports neurology and the opportunities for neurologists to work on the side lines at sporting events, with Dr. Stephanie Alessi-LaRosa, sports neurologist and sports neurology fellowship director at University of Connecticut and Hartford Healthcare. They discuss who works for sports teams, the nitty gritty of the gigs, and how to learn more and get involved.

Ahn-Thu Vu speaks with Dr. Roy Strowd- Editor-in-Chief of Neurology: Education- and Dr. Michael Sperling- Editor-in-Chief of Epilepsia- about being a reviewer, member of the editorial board, associate editor, or editor-in-chief for a journal. They discuss the organization and responsibilities of members of journal editorial staff, and what makes a good review. They also touch on when, how, and why to review for journals, and when and how to decline a review.

Katherine Fu speaks with Drs. Andy Woo and Tim Ryan, private practice neurologists in Santa Monica, MA and Raleigh, NC respectively, about transitioning to attendinghood in the private practice setting. They discuss how to get your name out there, engage with your community, build a referral network, and stay up-to-date with neurology and colleagues. For information on transitioning to attendinghood in academia, check out episode 34!

In Part II of switching subspecialties, Kathryn Moore discusses going from vascular neurology to general neurology practice with Dr. Ana Felix. They discuss the reasons, challenges, and fears of making a switch, and the advice to find what fills your bucket and pursue that throughout your career. 

In Part I of switching subspecialties, Kathryn Moore discusses going from more general practice to subspecialty practice, and going from inpatient to outpatient medicine with Dr. Deborah Syna, whose 30 year career has spanned hospitalist neurology, general outpatient, neurophysiology, and movement disorders, in addition to consulting, industry, and expert witness work. They discuss the long and varied careers that neurologists can have, the reasons to consider a switch, and the challenges of doing so.

Sagari Betté discusses practicing neurology in a rural location with guest Dr. Jill Breen Cramer,  owner of Blue Ridge Associates in Neurology and  Director of the Roanoke Area MS Center in Christiansburg, VA. They discuss how to seek out careers in rural areas and/or with medically underserved populations, the differences in professional and personal life outside of big cities, and the benefits and challenges along the way.

Learn all about options for fellowships or non-fellowship practice after training, tips on making a decision, how to prepare for fellowship, the application process and timeline, and more with Aparna Prabhu interviewing Neurology Program Directors Drs. Raymond Price at University of Pennsylvania and Erica Schuyler at University of Connecticut. A must listen for any neurology resident!

Sara Schaefer discusses the new E/M add-on code G2211 for longitudinal outpatient care with Dr. Korwyn Williams, child neurologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital and Chair of the Coding and Payment Policy (Co-Pay) subcommittee at the American Academy of Neurology.

Sara Schaefer speaks with Dr. Paul Lee, child neurologist and Director of Division Neurology 2 at the FDA, and Dr. Daniela Pimentel Maldonado, neuroimmunologist and clinical reviewer at the FDA. They discuss what they do, how it differs from other jobs in academia, industry, or at the NIH, and what about their work gets them out of bed every morning. 

Sagari Betté discusses navigating unexpected family health issues with Sara Schaefer, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Yale and founder of this podcast, and Kathrin LaFaver, Movement Disorders and Lifestyle Medicine Neurologist in Saratoga Springs, NY. They discuss the evolution of health concerns in their own family members, how that acutely and chronically altered their career trajectories, what they learned about the patient and caregiver perspective in medicine, and how it contributes to the way that they approach patient care. 

Sara Schaefer discusses returning to academia from the private practice world- can it be done? With incoming Chair of Neurology at St. Louis University Dr. Diana Greene-Chandos, and Dr. Okeanis Vaou- Associate Prof of Neurology, Division Chief of Movement Disorders, and Vice Chair of Faculty Development and Wellness at UT San Antonio. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of spending time in private practice before returning to academics and the fluidity of our careers as physicians. 

Sara Schaefer discusses conflicts of interest and the Sunshine Act with attorneys John Hutchins, General Counsel of the American Academy of Neurology, and Mimi Riley, Professor of Law, Public Health Sciences, and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Learn all about the levels of oversight, what kinds of things need to be disclosed, who discloses them and to whom, how they can impact your career, and where you might get tripped up. 

Sagari Betté speaks with Dr. Renata Chalfin, general neurologist and founder of Ideal Neurology Clinic in Boca Raton, Florida, about going straight into general practice from residency (without a fellowship), and the perks and difficulties of practicing as a general neurologist and of running her own practice.

Sara Schaefer discusses physician coaching with Barbara Hoese, professional coach and developer of the American Academy of Neurology Emerging Leaders Program, and Dr. Susana Bowling, neurologist and physician coach. They discuss reasons they became coaches, what they love about coaching, the process of becoming a coach, the structure of coaching and reasons physicians may seek coaching, benefits of coaching, and more.

Learn all about pharmaceutical side gigs including advisory panels and speakers bureaus with Anh-Thu Vu as she speaks with Drs. Erin Longbrake, neuroimmunologist at Yale and Tara Morrison, neuro-oncologist at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Sara Schaefer gets into the weeds of inpatient billing and coding with Dr. Marc Nuwer, Neurophysiology Department Head at UCLA and member of the CPT and Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) Advisory Panels, and Dr. Inna Keselman, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurophysiology and Neurology Quality Officer at UCLA. They discuss coding "families," CPT codes, new vs. subsequent encounters, diagnostic codes and levels of service- a great primer for moving into the inpatient space and maximizing your yield on billing. 

Sana Aslam discusses a transition from academic clinical medicine to industry with Dr. Rita Gandhi, Senior Medical Director of Huntington's Disease Clinical Development at Genentech. They discuss types of industry jobs, the appeal of a career in industry, how to be prepared for an industry job, and the learning curve of making the transition. 

Katherine Fu speaks with Dr. Sara Schaefer, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, Associate Program Director of the Neurology Residency program and Program Director of the Movement Disorders Fellowship, and Dr. Parneet Grewal, Assistant Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and a vascular neurologist, about the transition from training to attendinghood in academia. They cover the surprises and pitfalls, tips and tricks, networking, mentorship, time management, and more. 

Kathryn Moore discusses training backgrounds and advanced training options for Advanced Practice Providers, tips for integration into practice, and how to get the most out of your relationship with APPs- with Dr. Joel Morgenlander, Professor of Neurology at Duke University and developer of the Neurology Residency Program for APPs at Duke.

Parneet Grewal discusses how to negotiate with your department chair- where to start, what to consider, how to approach it- with Drs. Gary Gilkeson, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development at MUSC, Helmi Lutsep, Professor and Interim Chair of Neurology at Oregon Health and Sciences University, and Larry Goldstein, Chair of Neurology at University of Kentucky.

Anh-Thu Vu discusses how to get the most out of medical conferences as an attendee, presenter, and mentee with Dr. Kate Davis, clinician researcher and epilepsy specialist at University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Jaime Hatcher-Martin, telehealth movement disorders neurologist.

Sara Schaefer discusses leaving the familiar pastures of academia for other pursuits with Drs. Wanda Castro (industry), Kathrin LaFaver (community practice), and Audrey Nath (remote/locums).

Sana Aslam speaks with Drs. Courtney Takahashi and Katelyn Bird at Boston University Department of Neurology about getting a second degree while working. Dr. Takahashi received an MCR (Master of Clinical Research) during residency and is working on her Master of Business Administration (MBA) while an academic faculty physician. Dr. Bird is currently getting a Professions Education Masters degree while working full time as faculty. 

Katherine Fu discusses getting a Masters in Education with Drs. Rachel Gottlieb-Smith, Child Neurology Program Director at the University of Michigan, and Dara Albert, Child Neurology Associate Program Director at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Chair of the AB Baker Section on Neurological Education through the American Academy of Neurology. They discuss the process of getting this degree, what they learned, and how it has helped to shape their careers. They also discuss alternatives to a full masters degree for those interested in medical education.

Parneet Grewal speaks to Drs. Carol Feghali-Bostwick and Tanya Turan of the Medical University of South Carolina about types of mentors, the responsibilities of the mentor and the mentee, and some key tips for optimizing the mentor-mentee relationship.

Sara Schaefer discusses taking a gap year between medical school and residency for either personal or professional reasons (or both!) with Carine Maurer, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology at Stonybrook University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, and Nisha Chhabria, Medical Director, Global Medical Affairs, ADBH at Eisai.

Sara Schaefer discusses the art of saying "no"-- the when, the why, the how-- and how it contributes to wellness and career development, with Dr. Brenda Banwell, Chief of Child Neurology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Zach London, Neurology Residency Program Director at the University of Michigan.

Sara Schaefer discusses taking a gap year (or years!) between residency and fellowship with movement disorders fellow Christian Amlang and ICU EEG fellow Paul Sanmartin. Both of these neurologists took gap years between residency and fellowship as neurohospitalists, and took advantage of that time to explore travel, family time, hobbies, and more.

In this episode, Sara Schaefer discusses joining the military with neurologists Jennifer Crum Bailey and Rachel Rosenbaum, who were both involved in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) through the US armed forces. Learn about how and when you can join, perks, logistics, things to consider, and what they enjoy most about their careers.

Sagari Betté discusses the ins and outs of locums tenens with pediatric neurologist Dr. Lindsay Dudeck.

Sara Schaefer discusses working at the US Department of Defense and other career paths within the US government with neuroinfectious disease physician Dr. Ana-Claire Meyer. 

Sara Schaefer gets into the details of outpatient billing and coding including time vs. medical decision-making based billing, current procedural terminology (CPT) codes, modifiers, diagnostic codes, what happens on the insurance company end, and strategies to bill correctly but maximally for your practice. Guests Marc Nuwer, Neurophysiology Department Head at UCLA and member of the CPT and Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) Advisory Panels, and Rohit Marawar, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Wayne State University. Disclaimer: This podcast is an overview. Billing and coding rules depend on your state and the insurance company of the patient. Confer with your own billing department for details. 

Dr. Proleta Datta discusses the complexities of work visas for international medical graduate physicians with Jan Pederson, Attorney in Washington, DC and physician immigration expert and Dr. Aparna Prabhu Sandeep who is the Neurology Residency Program Director at Einstein Healthcare in Philadelphia.  In this episode they focus on J1 visas and intricacies of J1 waivers. 

Sara Schaefer discusses the ins and outs of telemedicine, including day-to-day practice, credentialing and reimbursement, quality of life, and more, with telestroke physician Theresa Sevilis and outpatient teleneurologist Maria Ramirez Hubbard.

Sara Schaefer discusses many facets of personal finance- including loan repayment, budgeting and cash flow, disability and life insurance, saving for retirement, employer matching, how to educate yourself about personal finances, and how to find a financial advisor who you can trust- with physician financial advisor Tyler Olson.

Sana Aslam discusses a variety of non-academic career paths and important aspects of the contract to consider with movement disorders neurologists Padma Mahant at Foothills Neurology in Phoenix, Arizona, and Jill Farmer at the Global Neuroscience Institute. Both of these neurologists  have practiced in a variety of environments and share what they have learned along the way.

Sara Schaefer gets into the details of relative value units (RVUs)- where they come from, how they are calculated, and how they are used in billing, insurance reimbursement, and physician compensation- with Marc Nuwer, Neurophysiology Department Head at UCLA and member of the CPT and Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) Advisory Panels, and Rohit Marawar, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Wayne State University.

Dr. Katherine Fu (@KatherineFuMD) discusses with guests Dr. Karima Benameur (@kimaneurologist), Neurohospitalist and Associate Professor of Neurology at Emory University & Dr. Vanessa Cooper (@VanessaCooperMD), Assistant Professor of Neurology at Yale University and Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion education for the neurology residency program about "Imposter Syndrome" (aka Imposter Phenomenon). They also discuss a variety of strategies to combat Imposter Syndrome on an individual, community, and institution level.

Parneet Grewal discusses burnout with guests Dr. Dike Drummond, physician coach and CEO and founder of TheHappyMD.com, and Dr. Divya Singhal of UT-San Antonio and former AAN Women in Neurology Section Chair. They discuss the prevalence, signs and symptoms, stigma, and potential individual and systemic ways to address burnout in the physician workforce and in ourselves, physician coaching and how starting with self-reflection can lead to increased energy from your work.

Sara Schaefer discusses the art of writing a letter of recommendation and the perspective of the reader with Neurology Program Directors Jeremy Moeller at Yale School of Medicine and Zach London at University of Michigan.

Sara Schaefer interviews author neurologists Elie Sternberg, author of NeuroLogic and other books, and Aaron Berkowitz, author of One by One by One, about how they got started with writing, their writing and publication process, what they find fulfilling, and how it influences their neurology practices.