Emerging Stroke Clinicians and Scientists

N etworking, collaboration, leadership development, and accessing mentorship are all part of building a clinical and research career. 1 These skills are rarely taught during formal training in health sciences, which means they are more often acquired in a piecemeal fashion.Many national and international healthcare and scientific societies are moving toward the formation of dedicated groups to support emerging clinicians and scientists to provide opportunities for professional development, collaboration, and networking.Ultimately, the goal is to build capacity of the next generation of leaders in these fields. Case for Developing a Multidisciplinary Special Interest Group That Targets Emerging Clinicians and Scientists in StrokeThree interrelated pillars encapsulate the need for development of special interest groups (SIGs) that target emerging clinicians and scientists: breaking down silos, minimizing professional isolation, and facilitating active communication. 2 A multidisciplinary SIG facilitates open dialogue, connectivity, and professional development outside traditional boundaries (eg, medical versus allied health versus nursing versus basic sciences).The advantage of targeting people at an early stage in clinical and research training is to build capacity and linkages, while avoiding a silo-based approach that has historically divided specialities. 3In many settings, geographic isolation can lead to professional isolation.Many emerging stroke clinician-scientists are located outside the epicenters of research and clinical activity.A SIG within a global or national society can address this challenge of isolation.For example, an annual meeting within an existing scientific conference can facilitate the development of (1) a professional network of people at a similar career stage, (2) support structures to help people manage difficult periods that may be intensified by isolation, and (3) foundations for potential future collaborations.Outside an annual meeting, social media (eg, Twitter) can be used as a tool to create and maintain linkages and provide an open forum for collaborative discussions that are not constrained by geography.A SIG can also facilitate interactions between early-career and established senior researchers and field leaders. 4Earlycareer clinician-scientists can find it daunting to directly seek out senior researchers.SIGs can be a platform to break down hierarchical barriers through workshops and seminars, as well as opportunities for individual interactions with senior researchers.This can foster the development of mentor-mentee relationships and provide greater opportunities for face-to-face interaction.While by no means exhaustive, these key opportunities highlight potential benefits of a SIG, which may ultimately facilitate the development and retention of future national and global leaders in clinical care and research in stroke.These benefits may extend to supporting future partnerships underpinning research papers, grant applications, and conference symposia.