In today's episode, we explore the often-overlooked concept of our privilege. We discuss how recognizing our privileges can shift our mindset towards gratitude and empowerment.

Key Takeaways:

1. Recognizing Everyday Privileges: From having running water to being able to listen to a podcast, small privileges in daily life are worth acknowledging.
2. The Privilege of Professional Roles: Being a physician and a researcher comes with unique opportunities to impact lives and advance knowledge.
3. Gratitude as a Tool for Growth: Focusing on privileges rather than disadvantages fosters gratitude, resilience, and the ability to thrive.
4. Owning Privilege to Make an Impact: By embracing our privileges, we are better equipped to function effectively and contribute meaningfully to the world.

Call to Action:

• Reflect on your own privileges and share them with others.
• Join Dr. Onwuemene's group coaching sessions to further explore ways to thrive as a clinician researcher. Send her a direct message for more details.
• Share this episode with someone who could benefit from this uplifting message.

Connect with Us: Follow the Clinician Researcher Podcast for more inspiring episodes. Have thoughts or questions about today’s topic? Leave a comment or send a direct message to Dr. Nwemeneh!

In this episode of The Clinician Researcher Podcast, Dr. Tracy Onwuemene dives into an unexpected reason that may be holding you back from success in your academic journey. Drawing on personal insights and hard-earned lessons, Dr. Onwuemene shares how reframing challenges and shifting your mindset can unlock your potential and lead to transformative growth.

Through candid reflections, she discusses the distinction between challenges that help us grow and problems that drain our energy without yielding progress. The key takeaway? Success lies in your ability to identify and address obstacles strategically—whether by turning problems into challenges or walking away from immovable "rocks."

Key Points Discussed:

1. Embracing the Difficulty:
   • Academia is hard by design, but the right challenges push us to grow and evolve.
   • Challenges are like weights in the gym—difficult but rewarding.
2. Differentiating Challenges vs. Problems:
   • Challenges lead to transformation and progress.
   • Problems are immovable obstacles that drain energy and yield no growth.
3. Taking Ownership:
   • Your mentor, division chief, or institution isn’t the true problem—it’s how you approach the situation.
   • Empower yourself to find alternative solutions, seek new opportunities, or reframe obstacles as challenges.
4. Shifting the Focus:
   • Stop waiting for others to change and start taking control of your own success.
   • Redirect your energy toward strategies that make a difference instead of fixating on unchangeable problems.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Reflect on whether your current obstacles are challenges or problems.
• For challenges, create a strategy to push through.
• For problems, decide whether to leave them alone or find a creative workaround.
• Remember, the power to change your narrative is in your hands.

Quote of the Episode: "The only problem you can ever have is you—because you are the one with the power to turn problems into challenges or to leave them as they are."

Resources & Links:

• Subscribe to the Clinician Researcher Podcast
• Follow Dr. Tracy Onwuemene on LinkedIn
• Got questions or a topic suggestion? Email us at contact@clinicianresearcherpodcast.com.

Join Us Next Week: Tune in as we discuss strategies for building resilience and maintaining balance as a clinician researcher. Don’t miss it!

n this episode of The Clinician Researcher Podcast, Dr. Tracy Onwuemene dives into the complex and often circular challenge of securing protected time in academia. From the struggle to get grants without protected time to the difficulties of gaining protected time without funding, she breaks down strategies and shares personal insights from her career journey.

Dr. Onwuemene emphasizes the importance of clarity, creativity, and strategic thinking in carving out time to pursue research and other professional goals. This episode will resonate with faculty and early-career researchers grappling with competing demands and seeking practical approaches to align their career aspirations with their realities.

Key Topics Covered:

1. The Paradox of Protected Time and Grant Funding:
   • The chicken-and-egg dilemma of needing protected time to secure grants but requiring grants to justify protected time.
   • Why clarity in career goals is critical for navigating this challenge.
2. Clarifying Your Goals:
   • The hidden fears and societal expectations that obscure true desires.
   • How identifying what you genuinely want—whether it’s research success, family time, or a mix of priorities—can guide your decisions.
3. Assessing Clinical Requirements:
   • Understanding your "minimum viable clinical work" to optimize your time and avoid burnout.
   • Asking the right questions about RVU targets and institutional expectations.
4. Evaluating the Relative and Energy Value of Contributions:
   • Determining the financial and personal energy costs of different clinical activities.
   • Balancing what generates revenue with what aligns with your passion and energizes you.

Takeaways:

• Know Your Why: Dig deep to uncover your true priorities and goals.
• Ask Strategic Questions: Understand institutional policies and set realistic expectations for your clinical and research work.
• Maximize Your Contributions: Align your efforts with what brings you energy and delivers the greatest value.
• Be Adaptable: Goals can evolve, and your approach to protecting time should too.