On 10 September, 18 medical professionals from various modules of our Clinician Scientist CareerS programme participated in a special session as part of the 5th Inflammation and Imaging Symposium in Münster: they exchanged thoughts and recommendations with four experienced clinician scientists from Germany and abroad and learned from their experiences. 

Hernando Gómez Danies from Pittsburgh, Susanne Herold from Giessen, Michael Matthay from San Francisco and Mervyn Singer from London talked about their professional careers, coincidences that led to pioneering decisions and their strategies for maintaining their passion for both science and clinical practice. There was unanimous agreement that it is experiences at the bedside – especially when treatment inexplicably fails (as yet) to produce the desired outcome – that prompt physicians to pursue intensive research into molecular mechanisms and fundamental biological functions.

Their personal insights and recommendations painted an overall picture that a successful career as a clinician scientist hinges on a passion for the work, resilience, good mentors and a “love of learning”. The four professors recommended recognising your own strengths, being honest with yourself and seeking advice in order to focus your attention on the right things at the right time. After two hours of inspiring and supportive exchange, Susanne Herold summed up with a motivating statement: “Sometimes it’s a balancing act to do justice to science and clinical practice – but we are the link between the two, and it's a huge privilege to be a clinician scientist.”

Silke Jamitzky

• Clinician Scientist CareerS Münster
• Inflammation & Imaging Symposium Münster