Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
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To determine the responsibilities of journal social media editors (SMEs) and describe their goals and barriers and facilitators to their position. ⋯ Many of the participating SMEs pioneered the use of social media as a platform for knowledge dissemination at their journals. While editorial boards were qualitatively supportive, SMEs were challenged by limited resources and lack of academic credit for social media work.
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Recently in medicine, the accuracy of machine learning models in predictive tasks has started to meet or exceed that of board-certified specialists. The ability to automate cognitive tasks using software has raised new questions about the future role of human physicians in health care. Emerging technologies can displace people from their jobs, forcing them to learn new skills, so it is clear that this looming challenge needs to be addressed by the medical education system. ⋯ According to economic theory, competencies that are complementary to machine prediction will become more valuable in the future, while competencies that are substitutes for machine prediction will become less valuable. Applications of machine learning to highly specific cognitive tasks will increase the performance and value of health professionals, not replace them. To train physicians who are resilient in the face of potential labor market disruptions caused by emerging technologies, medical education must teach and nurture unique human abilities that give physicians a comparative advantage over computers.
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Mentorship is central to academic medicine and its missions, and it has long played a critical role in the training and career development of physicians and scientists. A growing body of literature has documented the positive impact of mentorship on various outcomes, including research productivity, academic promotion, faculty retention, and career satisfaction. These benefits span academic medical centers' missions and have the potential to enhance biomedical research, patient care, education, and faculty diversity and leadership. ⋯ The bidirectional transmission of knowledge between mentors and mentees, through both formal programs and informal relationships, can foster the growth of faculty members needed to meet the complex challenges currently confronting medical schools and teaching hospitals. Developing a culture of mentorship requires a strong commitment by leaders at all levels to nurture the next generation of physicians and scientists as well as grassroots efforts by trainees and faculty to seek out and create mentorship opportunities. The authors conclude by outlining possible mechanisms and incentives for elevating mentorship to the level of a strategic priority to strengthen academic medical centers across their missions.
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This analysis examined the role of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) individual Mentored Career Development Award (K01, K08, K23) on launching and sustaining independent research careers for early-career scientists, and investigated the effects of these awards during and after the doubling of the NIH budget. ⋯ Receipt of Mentored Career Development Awards was linked to increased likelihood that early-career scientists successfully transitioned to an independent research career. These findings indicate that extending funding to additional K award applicants with meritorious scores could significantly strengthen the pipeline of biomedical researchers. In addition, enhancing K awards may be relevant to sustaining research careers for clinician scientists.