- Erin Shaughnessy
1. You were the co-director of the PHM 2019 Pre-Conference Program entitled “Develop Your Career in Hospital Medicine.” What advice do you have for early career hospitalists? How can they find a mentor to help them develop a “road map” for their career?
My best advice for early career hospitalists is not to fear a wandering path! Many of us in hospital medicine have broad interests, and have pursued different directions at different times. Eventually, for promotion purposes, it is helpful to narrow your focus, but that focus doesn’t negate the skills you pick up along the way pursuing other interests.
To find a mentor, I recommend inviting a potential mentor for a cup of coffee to learn about his/her path. This informal meeting is a low-stakes way to get to know someone and see if they might be a good fit. If the conversation goes well, it is easy to ask them to mentor you!
2. As the deputy editor for Journal of Hospital Medicine, what makes a good article? Any tips for those that are working on publishing their first article?
Probably most important is to read the author instructions! You would be surprised how many people skip this step. :) Beyond that, my advice for folks about to write their first article is to just get something on paper- the blank page can be daunting. It is always easier to edit and revise.
3. You presented “Reaching Across the Aisle: Pediatric Co-Management with Surgery and Subspecialists” at Hospital Medicine 2019. What are the keys to a good consult? Do you think every surgical patient should have a pediatrics consult?
I believe it is important to have meaningful consults. Because of that, I’m not a fan of “automatic” consultation. That said, there are a few patient populations that are usually better off with a pediatric hospitalist involved in their care, and that includes medically complex children with major orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures. Hospitalists can improve the care of these patients by implementing good preventive care including airway clearance, bowel regimens, and VTE prophylaxis, as well as assisting with medication management.
4. How has your Master’s Degree in Health Care Management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health affected your practice as a pediatric hospitalist?
I use skills from the master’s program almost every day as a leader! Having financial literacy has helped me negotiate for resources within my organization and demonstrate the return on investment of those resources to hospital leaders. Another skill I use almost every day is interest-based negotiation. I think learning how to negotiate well is beneficial to any hospitalist, no matter their position.
5. You recently published “The Future of Pediatric Hospital Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities” in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Where do you think the field will be like in 10 years?
It is such an exciting time to be a pediatric hospitalist! I see amazing potential in further scholarship that addresses health care delivery, transitions of care, and high value care. A big strength of our field is a collaborative spirit, with multiple learning networks and collaborative organizations for sharing knowledge and mentoring others. I also think we will have continued rapid growth in our fellowship programs, both in number of positions and quality of academic training options.
6. An interesting article of yours is titled “Malnutrition in Hospitalized Children: A Responsibility and Opportunity for Pediatric Hospitalists” (Hospital Pediatrics 2016). Can you tell us more about what pediatric hospitalists should be doing to address malnutrition in the hospital?
The most important thing is for hospitalists to be thinking about nutrition on a daily basis. Don’t forget to check the growth chart, and be thinking early and often about feeding strategies in patients who are too ill to feed by mouth.
7. Jack Percelay often ends his list-serve commentary with the phrase “that’s just my 2 pennies.” What are your two cents?
I am a big believer in getting involved in national organizations. It is a great way to meet other people, broaden your perspective, and get leadership experience!
My best advice for early career hospitalists is not to fear a wandering path! Many of us in hospital medicine have broad interests, and have pursued different directions at different times. Eventually, for promotion purposes, it is helpful to narrow your focus, but that focus doesn’t negate the skills you pick up along the way pursuing other interests.
To find a mentor, I recommend inviting a potential mentor for a cup of coffee to learn about his/her path. This informal meeting is a low-stakes way to get to know someone and see if they might be a good fit. If the conversation goes well, it is easy to ask them to mentor you!
2. As the deputy editor for Journal of Hospital Medicine, what makes a good article? Any tips for those that are working on publishing their first article?
Probably most important is to read the author instructions! You would be surprised how many people skip this step. :) Beyond that, my advice for folks about to write their first article is to just get something on paper- the blank page can be daunting. It is always easier to edit and revise.
3. You presented “Reaching Across the Aisle: Pediatric Co-Management with Surgery and Subspecialists” at Hospital Medicine 2019. What are the keys to a good consult? Do you think every surgical patient should have a pediatrics consult?
I believe it is important to have meaningful consults. Because of that, I’m not a fan of “automatic” consultation. That said, there are a few patient populations that are usually better off with a pediatric hospitalist involved in their care, and that includes medically complex children with major orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures. Hospitalists can improve the care of these patients by implementing good preventive care including airway clearance, bowel regimens, and VTE prophylaxis, as well as assisting with medication management.
4. How has your Master’s Degree in Health Care Management from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health affected your practice as a pediatric hospitalist?
I use skills from the master’s program almost every day as a leader! Having financial literacy has helped me negotiate for resources within my organization and demonstrate the return on investment of those resources to hospital leaders. Another skill I use almost every day is interest-based negotiation. I think learning how to negotiate well is beneficial to any hospitalist, no matter their position.
5. You recently published “The Future of Pediatric Hospital Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities” in the Journal of Hospital Medicine. Where do you think the field will be like in 10 years?
It is such an exciting time to be a pediatric hospitalist! I see amazing potential in further scholarship that addresses health care delivery, transitions of care, and high value care. A big strength of our field is a collaborative spirit, with multiple learning networks and collaborative organizations for sharing knowledge and mentoring others. I also think we will have continued rapid growth in our fellowship programs, both in number of positions and quality of academic training options.
6. An interesting article of yours is titled “Malnutrition in Hospitalized Children: A Responsibility and Opportunity for Pediatric Hospitalists” (Hospital Pediatrics 2016). Can you tell us more about what pediatric hospitalists should be doing to address malnutrition in the hospital?
The most important thing is for hospitalists to be thinking about nutrition on a daily basis. Don’t forget to check the growth chart, and be thinking early and often about feeding strategies in patients who are too ill to feed by mouth.
7. Jack Percelay often ends his list-serve commentary with the phrase “that’s just my 2 pennies.” What are your two cents?
I am a big believer in getting involved in national organizations. It is a great way to meet other people, broaden your perspective, and get leadership experience!