Letter From the LipidSpin Editors: Mentor/Mentee Program Helps Foster Young Practitioners

It is with great pleasure that I update all with the wonderful progress being made by the career development committee. The committee chair, Binh An P. Phan, MD, FNLA, and members come from all regions of the country and from all disciplines. The vitality of our organization is enhanced because of these efforts.

The committee charge is to foster a mentoring program between established experts and young practitioners in the field of Clinical Lipidology. Specifically they have been charged with establishing a means by which organizational leadership and involvement within the National Lipid Association (NLA) is promoted to young practitioners and fellows-in-training. The committee encourages fellows-in-training to become involved in this committee, the NLA, and its scientific sessions and educational programs. Educational meetings and courses are targeted specifically for early career practitioners and fellows-in-training. “Boot camps,” day meetings, and weekend meetings have been developed to help young lipidologists get involved in writing reviews/topical papers, case studies, etc. in collaboration with a mentor. In addition, the committee has been working to develop a path for young members to develop a relationship with more established clinical trialists who are NLA members.

Check out lipid.org/education/fellows/mentors, where we are organizing mentors/mentees in pairing. The LipidSpin is planning to highlight articles formally written by mentor/mentee pairs. Opportunities for fellows in training are outlined in the membership letter. Notifications have been sent to all CVD program directors regarding free membership in the NLA and other opportunities including our educational offerings for fellows in training.

We are planning a strategic meeting for pairing at the Denver CLU and at our annual meeting in Chicago. Early career development committee members are invited to participate in all of our committees and are invited to participate as a nonvoting member at our board meetings. In addition, the early career and mentors will be gathering together during the annual meeting in Chicago.

I encourage everyone to reach out and help others along their career path. Introduce them to people you know who can help them along. Our organization is interdisciplinary and that is a wonderful strength. It also offers many opportunities for scholastic excellence designed to enhance practice. Do your part for the next generation!

From my vantage point, it is one of the most rewarding things we can do.