Lessons I’ve Learned as Chair

Being a recent graduate just entering the professional stage of one’s career is an especially turbulent time. This is magnified for ones that had a prolonged academic journey, such as advanced medical training, pursuing master’s/doctoral degrees, and any other unique situation that can lead to a long journey of being an official student on paper (because unofficially we’re all students of life, until the end!).

However long and winding road one takes, there comes a time when the stage is set to exit being a student and enter the professional field. This stage is simply known as Early Career (using the naming convention most widely used, including at the American Heart Association). This part of a career journey has the uniqueness of blending learning many new life skills, and professionally performing up to the standards expected from achieving the academic endpoint one has reached (MD, PhD, or any other).

One way a young professional can advance their learning curve and become professionally savvy and focused is by seeking and actively participating in committees within organizations related to their working field. Committees provide a platform where members interact regularly, discuss and plan actions related to the work environment, provide community-building opportunities, and essentially expose their members to a variety of learning experiences that are highly beneficial, both directly and indirectly, in progressing their early career professional journey.

Here I present my personal experience as an example. I have recently concluded my term as Chair of the trainee committee in my institute, and have recently been granted full employment status as part of the reorganization of the employment structure here. I’m now exactly placed in the “Early Career Professional” stage of my journey.  Being part of a committee provided me with many extra layers of understanding on how everything functions within the institution. My long academic stage provided me with skills and experiences within the realm of science, laboratory research and academic scholarship, but precious few glimpses of structures and professional actions outside the lab and classroom settings.

(Image from Pixabay.com CC0)

Working within a committee, and chairing a committee in my personal example, comes with its own learning curve, which can be a daunting thought for an already overwhelmed young professional (or senior student or trainee). But the rewards are plenty, and the effort is worth it at the end. Committee membership can be a rich source for personal and professional education. Some lessons are generalized for everyone to gain, other lessons are more individually centered, for each person to uniquely grow from. Some of the many lessons I’ve learned recently I’ll share here.

I’ve learned how a budget in an institutional structure is managed (which is different from how a personal household budget is done). I’ve learned the names of so many other professionals within the organization outside of my daily interactions. I’ve learned more about the administrative structure of the place where I work in. I sat in meetings that shape the direction of the future of the institution. I learned about leadership, and even more about teamwork. I learned the great value and appreciation for creating a close-knit community within a professional organization. As human beings, we have been creating and living in villages for thousands of years, and nowadays the professional network one works in can be part of that village. Here as well is where one can find opportunities to increase the equity, diversity, and inclusiveness of the professional community within the institution or organization. I had first-hand experience in this. Providing support and a platform for the under-represented can create an entry point for the larger effort required within the whole organization, institution and wider society. We should use all the tools at our disposal (and create new tools when necessary) to continuously provide better results for members of our community that are under-represented or marginalized.

My pitch here at the end to you is to seek out, create when possible, and accept opportunities, to be active in your work organization, and professional societies, during your early career stage (and moving forward). My personal endorsement goes to being an active member of a committee at your institution, and then to expand into national and international societies that exist in your professional field. There is much to learn, a community to join, to build, and a lot to gain towards advancing your professional path, and maybe, the society as a whole.
