Networking Strategies for Academic Physicians

For academic physicians, networking is not just a buzzword; it's a crucial skill that can fast forward your career and foster professional success. When done thoughtfully, it can be a critical career booster and is especially important in the early years of building your practice. 

While many of us think of national meetings as the most common opportunity to build connections, local and regional meetings may allow even more changes to exchange ideas, deepen connections, and advance your career. 

It is also important to remember that effective networking requires more than just showing up; it involves strategic planning and active engagement. Here, I present eight essential tips to help you maximize your networking efforts at national meetings.

1. Prepare in Advance

Before you attend a meeting, do your homework. Review the agenda, identify key sessions and speakers, and research attendees you’d like to connect with. 

Use the agenda or meeting's app or website to plan your schedule.  

Being well-prepared will help you make the most of your time and ensure you don’t miss valuable opportunities. 

It may also be valuable to set up appointments with key players at the meeting in order to assure that you get a few minutes of their time. 

I also recommend that you rely on mentors and sponsors to help you make these connections. Their introduction will often expedite these connections and may make it more likely that you will be remembered in the future. 

It is also useful to ask your mentors whom you should be meeting with or if there are people with similar career trajectories. This is often based on your goals and rationale for the introduction so… 

2. Set Clear Goals

Determine what you want to achieve from the meeting. Are you looking to collaborate on research, seek mentorship, or learn about new developments in your field? Setting clear objectives will help you focus your efforts and measure your success. 

When meeting with senior faculty, you may also want to take the opportunity to ask where they see the field going and where are the gaps in knowledge or research. 

These conversations can often help you better understand where you might be able to contribute and allow you to communicate this back to them if you are already working in an area they mention. 

If they do not mention your area of interest, then feel free to bring it up and talk to them about your goals and plans and get their feedback. This is your opportunity to use your elevator pitch!

3. Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

The elevator pitch is a 30 second summary of who you are, what you do, and what you’re looking for. It should be concise (you really only have 30 seconds) and compelling so that they can get a good feeling for you quickly. 

This is intended to help you make a strong first impression and hopefully facilitate meaningful conversations going forward.

If you are not sure how to craft this, use an AI platform to create one with your key words and ideas and then edit from there!

Once you have formulated your pitch, I really recommend that you practice your pitch until it feels natural.

4. Engage on Social Media

Another way to participate is to join the conversation on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. 

If you are at a specific event, there is often an event hashtag that you can follow. If this is the case, I recommend that you post a video or a comment - ideally including the speakers whom you want to connect with. Then comment on other posts or just like them, participate in discussions, and connect with other attendees online. 

This can serve as an icebreaker and make in-person introductions smoother. And everyone likes when their work is highlighted by others!

When your networking is not focused on a specific event, you may find that posting about your interests attracts others as does commenting on the posts of like-minded colleagues. If you use Facebook or LinkedIn - you may also find that there are groups focused on your area of interest. 

5. Attend Networking Events (ie The Social Events)

While your idea of a great time might not be attending the networking events offered at most regional and national meetings, these receptions, dinners, and special interest group meetings are some of the best places to make connections. After attending a few, you may even find yourself looking forward to attending in order to reconnect with your friends and colleagues!

I highly recommend that you make it a point to attend these events as they provide a more relaxed atmosphere to meet colleagues and establish connections. 

Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and join conversations. If you are not comfortable doing this, just focus on talking to one person in the room and get a lay of the land. 

This is also often the place where it is easiest to track down committee leadership or the head of the program committee if you want to be included in the future.

6. Follow Up Promptly

After meeting someone, follow up with a personalized message. Mention something specific from your conversation to jog their memory and express your interest in staying in touch. 

If you exchanged emails or mobile numbers, this might be a text or a quick email. 

If this is someone you met but did not exchange contact information with, consider connecting on LinkedIn to continue the dialogue to strengthen the relationship. Or ask a mutual colleague or a mentor for their email address.

You may also find emails by pubmeding their peer-reviewed publications and checking the corresponding author information. Or your professional society may share contact information between members. 

7. Utilize Digital Contact Methods (or business cards)

While the old version of connecting was to exchange business cards, I find that few people have them these days and they are just going to take a picture of it even if they do. 

Instead, consider using a digital contact-sharing methods, such as QR codes or contact-sharing apps, which can be more convenient and environmentally friendly.

And, if you have an IPhone or Apple Watch, you can use namedrop - you can do this by  holding the iPhone a few centimeters from the top of the other person’s iPhone or Apple Watch. Or if you hare using your Apple Watch you can open contact on your watch, tap your picture and then hit share, and then put your watch near another watch. 

8. Be a Good Listener

Effective networking isn’t just about talking; it’s also about listening. Show genuine interest in what others have to say. Be curious!

Ask thoughtful open-ended questions, and encourage the other person to elaborate by asking questions that help keep the conversation flowing like "Can you tell me more about that project?" or "How did you become interested in this field?"

Also be sure to avoid interrupting. It can be very hard if you are excited about a comment that they have made, but please allow them to finish their thoughts before your respond so that you are not perceived as rude or more interested in speaking than listening. 

And make sure that you are fully present for the conversation. Nothing bothers people more than when they see you looking over their shoulder at others. Focus entirely on the person you are speaking with. Staying present shows respect and helps you absorb the information being shared.

Networking at work and at meetings is essential for career development but it doesnt have to feel like work. 

The goal is to make real connections and work with people who you respect and admire. 

If it all seems overwhelming, just focus on one aspect.  

I recommend starting with your elevator pitch! 

And engaging on social media can be a grand slam for even the biggest introvert (I know, I am one!)

If you are interested in hearing more, please check out the podcast at 

If you are interested in learning more, please listen to the Medical Mentor Coaching podcast on Apple or Spotify 

Or contact me with questions or comments by: 

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• Email me at [email protected] OR
• Contact me at the website at www.medicalmentorcoaching.com