Event Overview
This interactive workshop explores how cardiologists at every stage can strategically navigate career transitions, build essential non-clinical skills, and create a fulfilling, sustainable professional journey.
Why Attend?
- Learn from nationally recognized leaders in cardiology
- Gain actionable strategies for career growth
- Build meaningful professional connections
- Engage in dynamic, small-group discussions
Workshop Objectives
Master the Framework of Strategic Career Planning
Participants will be able to apply "Strategic Planning 101" principles to their own careers—including goal-setting, skill inventorying, and identifying mentors or sponsors—to move beyond a reactive "destination-only" mindset toward a proactive, fulfilling professional strategy.
Identify and Navigate Critical Transition Inflection Points
Attendees will evaluate the common and unexpected transitions within Cardiology—such as the Fellow-to-Attending jump, shifts between Academic and Private sectors, or the move into Industry and Leadership—by leveraging shared experiences from a diverse panel of experts to mitigate burnout and ensure clinical and personal continuity.
Cultivate Non-Traditional Skills and Professional Community
Participants will recognize the necessity of skills beyond clinical expertise (e.g., leadership, MBA/legal integration, art/literature, and advocacy) and identify how professional societies like the NJ ACC Chapter provide the "village of support" essential for long-term legacy planning and work-life integration.
Agenda
8:00 AM – Welcome
Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD
8:10 AM – Introduction: Strategic Career Planning
Linda D. Gillam, MD, FACC
- Why strategy matters in career fulfillment
- Core pillars: goals, skills, mentorship, timelines
- Session overview and logistics
8:20 – 9:20 AM | Session 1
Expected Paths, Unexpected Turns: Navigating and Optimizing Professional and Personal Transitions -“From strength to strength: The second curve and beyond of a career in cardiology”
Keynote Speaker: Jennifer Mieres, MD
Transitions are Inevitable: What we expect and understand (medical education and training, our first jobs) and what we should but don’t.
Moderator: Linda Gillam, MD, FACC
Panelists:
Jim Coromilas, MD FACC
Jordan Safirstein , MD, FACC
Partho Sengupta MD, FACC
9:20 – 10:20 AM | Session 2
Leadership skills for everyone: Their importance for professional and personal fulfillment - Thinking outside the heart: future proofing cardiology
Keynote Speaker: Sandra Lewis, MD, FACC
The importance of skills beyond clinical and/or academic basics. Leadership skills are for everyone. Creating and seizing opportunities. Do you need another degree? Non-traditional pathways to research. Acquiring the skills you will (may) need.
Moderator: Linda Gillam, MD, FACC
Panelists:
Steve Guss, MD
Rachana Kulkarni, MD
Ken Kutscher, MD, FACC
Mark Zucker, MD
10:20 – 10:30 AM | Break
10:30 – 11:15 AM | Interactive Breakouts & Networking
Participants will join small-group discussions tailored to career stage:
Early Career Moderators:
Lindsay Elbaum, MD
Joshua Weisbrot, MD, FACC
Navigating the "Fellow-to-Attending" Jump-The first transition is often the hardest—moving from a structured training environment to the autonomy of a staff position.Since cardiology is increasingly digital, don't ignore the Digital Transition. Discussing how to build a professional brand on LinkedIn or X (Twitter) is relevant for everyone from the fellow looking for a job to the veteran launching a consulting firm
Key Discussion Points:
- Contract Negotiation: Understanding RVUs (Relative Value Units), non-compete clauses, and tail insurance.
- Sub-specialization vs. Generalism: Deciding whether to double down on Interventional/EP or maintain a broad clinical profile.
- Mentorship vs. Sponsorship: Finding someone to open doors, not just offer advice
- Creating your village of support especially in early parenthood
Mid Career
Moderators:
Renee Bullock-Palmer, MD, FACC
Sid Glasofer, MD
Academic to Private Practice (and Vice Versa)-The "grass is greener" syndrome is real in cardiology. This topic explores the cultural and operational shifts between these two worlds.Since cardiology is increasingly digital, don't ignore the Digital Transition. Discussing how to build a professional brand on LinkedIn or X (Twitter) is relevant for everyone from the fellow looking for a job to the veteran launching a consulting firm
Key Discussion Points:
- Pivoting and Reinvention
- The Academic Exit: Managing the loss of research infrastructure and teaching opportunities.
- The Private-to-Academic Entry: How to re-build a research portfolio after years in a high-volume clinical setting.
- Operational differences: Billing efficiency in private practice vs. the bureaucracy of large health systems.
- Best for: Mid-career professionals feeling "stuck."
The Pivot to Private Equity and Industry-Many cardiologists are moving away from traditional clinical practice toward leadership roles in medical device companies, pharmaceuticals, or private equity-backed groups.
Key Discussion Points:
- Transitioning from "Provider" to "Chief Medical Officer."
- The pros and cons of private equity acquisition of cardiology practices.
- Consulting and advisory board roles as a side-hustle or bridge to full-time industry work.
Best for: Mid-to-late career cardiologists.
Advanced Career
Moderators:
Linda Gillam, MD, FACC
Joel Landzberg, MD, FACC
The Pivot to Private Equity and Industry- Many cardiologists are moving away from traditional clinical practice toward leadership roles in medical device companies, pharmaceuticals, or private equity-backed groups. Since cardiology is increasingly digital, don't ignore the Digital Transition. Discussing how to build a professional brand on LinkedIn or X (Twitter) is relevant for everyone from the fellow looking for a job to the veteran launching a consulting firm
Key Discussion Points:
● Transitioning from "Provider" to "Chief Medical Officer."
● The pros and cons of private equity acquisition of cardiology practices.
● Consulting and advisory board roles as a side-hustle or bridge to full-time industry work.
Retirement and Legacy Planning- Cardiology is a high-intensity field; "retirement" often looks more like a "step-down" than a full stop.
Key Discussion Points:
● Phased Retirement: Moving from the lab/on-call rotation to outpatient-only clinics or telemedicine.
● The Legalities: Tail coverage and the cost of closing a practice.
● Legacy: Transitioning into teaching, medical volunteering (e.g., global health), or medico-legal expert witness work.
11:15 AM – Closing Remarks & Survey
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Networking Lunch
