Pharmacoepidemiologist's Toolbox for Professional Empowerment

Course Aim
The course will address on multiple professional development topics with each lecture providing the necessary tools for the attendees to apply the discussed principles to their own career paths. Faculty will give four, 35-minute-long didactic lectures, with 35-minute panel discussion with course faculty to further discuss the importance of professional development. In total the course will consist of approximately 3.5 hours of instruction in real-time with 20 minutes of break included.

Requisites Statement
All audiences are welcome. It is suggested that participants take the personality test https://www.16personalities.com/ or https://www.truity.com/test/big-five-personality-test prior to the course.

Course Objectives
1. To introduce the concept of authenticity and discuss how it may impact you or your employer when exhibited in the workplace
2. To describe approaches for planning, drafting, and disseminating findings from a large research team
3. To discuss how to develop a clear understanding of similarities and differences in the health care priorities and cultural values among health care researchers who collaborate on international initiatives.
4. To discuss a pragmatic model for giving advice as a mentor that is rooted in curiosity and vulnerability.

Syllabus Outline
This course will be moderated by Dr. Caitlin Knox, and the presentations will cover the topics below:

Introduction to professional empowerment (15 minutes)
Dr. Caitlin Knox

Authenticity in the Workplace (35 minutes)
Christopher Rentsch

Individuals may hide or alter parts of themselves to conform with what they perceive is expected or what is required of them when they enter a workspace, which often means leaving parts of their true authentic self behind. There is a school of thought that suggests authenticity is a key asset for success at work and in life in general; however, this concept continues to be debated. This session will introduce the concept of authenticity and discuss how it may benefit (or harm) you (or your employer) when exhibited in the workplace.

Action-Oriented Negotiation: Rethinking Data, Decision-Making, and the Pharmacoepidemiologist’s Role in Your Organization (35 minutes)
Dr. Mary Beth Ritchey

Pharmacoepidemiology research is most robust with input from many disciplines. Active engagement of data holders, clinicians, statisticians, methodologists, etc is critical to ensuring study findings are interpretable and relevant. While many research teams are large, it can be difficult to navigate recognition of contributions across the norms of multiple organizations, disciplines, and levels of seniority. This session will describe approaches to planning and implementing research dissemination (abstracts, posters, presentations, manuscripts, and beyond) from a large multidisciplinary team.

[BREAK 10 minutes]

Cross-cultural leadership in pharmacoepidemiology collaborations (35 minutes)
Dr. Yola Moride

Pharmacoepidemiologists are frequently solicited to take part in international initiatives, including research projects, organizational programs, boards of learned societies, and training amongst others. This talk will provide attendees with guidance on how to take into account cultural values and differences during interactions with peers or trainees. The audience will learn the importance of assessing the nature of cultural differences, of adapting to those differences, and of taking advantage of differences for personal growth.

Rethinking advice giving in mentoring relationships (35 minutes)
Dr. Juan Hincapie Castillo

Mentors receive requests for advice in day-to-day interactions, and it is tempting to jump into direct problem solving. This talk will provide attendees with a pragmatic framework and tools to change the dynamics of advice-giving. The audience will learn the importance of staying curious when asked for guidance and the role of vulnerable and honest conversations to promote daring leadership.

Book recommendation and main reference: Stanier, Michael Bungay. The coaching habit: Say less, ask more & change the way you lead forever. Box of Crayons Press, 2016.

[BREAK 10 minutes]

Panel Discussion / Q&A with course faculty (35 minutes)