Introduction: Reflecting on the significance of our recent election, I’m reminded of one of my favorite political figures, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt had many accomplishments, but my favorite two things he did were the establishment of national parks, a place for us to enjoy the amazing natural world, and his ability to call out those who were always critics. He pointed out that if you are not in the arena, your criticism does not count. To quote this legendary figure:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
The highlight of my career has been helping patients. When I see someone have a life-changing therapy, I begin to reflect not only on how much we’ve impacted the individual’s life but also the family and friends they interact with daily. Let’s not forget the way this can impact their purpose in society. This is true when we offer an intervention but also on a larger note when we design or execute a study, teach a course, or give advice to our peers.
We are in a life-changing field, and that is our purpose. That is the primary reason the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience exists: to further promote the never-ending chain of people who help each other and, at the endpoint, help the patient and those who care about that person. To do this, we must foster new leaders and help grow those individuals who can guide opinion, research, and teaching. This doesn’t come without a cost. As early-career physicians, you must ask yourself if it is worth the price to build the type of life resume that makes you influential in the arena.
Dual Goals: As noted above, the goal of a patient-centric focus is our mission, but we have a second high-value target for success. We strive to improve the success and impact of each of our members, whether you are a physician, advanced practice provider, scientist, fellow, resident, student, or a member of the industry. If I can help you be a better version of yourself, I have done a service to all humankind. What is in it for the person providing the support? Is it worth your time, effort, and extra work just to help someone else’s career? Only you know the answer to this.
The Return on Your Investment Some may wonder why we spend many days traveling as volunteers to advance the field. The time investment can be overwhelming, and even when consulting, the fair market value rarely compensates for the “time lost” total cost. So, what is “the why”? Why should you go the extra mile, travel the extra flight connection, or miss important personal events? You need to check yourself and your mission to life balance.
Here are some questions you should ponder if you want to be a society leader or a key opinion leader in the field of Interventional Spine:
- Do I have a genuine goal to make life better for patients and their inner circle?
- Do I have a genuine goal to make society better from the standpoint of more functional and productive people?
- Do I have a partner or significant other who will support me emotionally as I travel and spend endless hours working on my mission?
- Do I have a mission that drives me to impact the lives of the many people I will meet, as well as the thousands of individuals who I will never personally interact with but who benefit from my broader work?
- Are you willing to give up many family and social events because you are “teaching that weekend”?
- When you look back years later, will you find satisfaction that your work has been impactful, or will you resent the time away from your family?
- Are you willing to spend many nights away from home, write many chapters and articles without payment, and mentor people you may never see again?
- Do you possess a certain set of skills that make you unique and valuable to advance the field?
- Do you possess a desire to make all your colleagues better and take pride in seeing your friends succeed?
- Can you handle criticism for your work, even when it comes from those with little accomplishment or contribution themselves?
We need many new young leaders to carry the banner of our field as it continues to grow, evolve, improve, and become a force in advancing human function. If you’re equipped to stand up, put in the work, and demand more every day from your skills, reach out to me and the leadership of ASPN.
We are here to help you in your growth and development. We are a community committed to the mission of improving patient safety and efficacy while creating more impactful people to help us lead the way of innovation and development of new medical technology. Much like Teddy Roosevelt, we are the disruptive and early to adapt to change.
