Charting Your Course: Career Advancement Strategies for Academic Neurologists
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Ances will help teach faculty steps on the promotion process.
Charting Your Course: Career Advancement Strategies for Academic Neurologists*
Date: October 20, 2026
Time: 7:00 am to 8:30 am
Room: Coral 2
Track: Professional Development Workshop - Early Career & Early to Mid-Career Level
Session Description
This Professional Development Workshop offers a practical roadmap for career advancement in academic neurology. As expectations for productivity, scholarship, and leadership continue to evolve, neurologists face increasing challenges in navigating promotion pathways, building sustainable careers, and achieving professional fulfillment.
Structured around four key pillars—educational, research, and clinical scholarship, as well as mentorship and negotiation—this session provides an actionable framework for success. Faculty will share strategies to define and align academic contributions with institutional expectations, build cohesive scholarly portfolios, and effectively leverage mentorship and sponsorship.
Through expert perspectives and interactive discussion, participants will gain practical tools to negotiate for resources and protected time, integrate clinical, research, and educational responsibilities, and enhance career trajectory and visibility. The session is designed for neurologists across career stages and emphasizes sustainable approaches to long-term career success.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the roles of educational, research, and clinical scholarship in academic promotion.
- Apply mentorship, sponsorship, and negotiation strategies to support career advancement.
- Develop strategies to build a sustainable and impactful academic career while mitigating burnout.
Speakers
- (Chair) Vinita Acharya, MD, FANA
- (Co-Chair) Tracey Milligan, MD, MS, FANA
- (Speaker) Beau Ances, MD, PhD, MSc, FANA
- (Speaker) Jaffar Khan, MD
- (Speaker) Neha Dangayach, MD, MSCR, FAAN, FCCM, FNCS, FCCP, FANA
Innovate, Educate, Elevate Educational Scholarship in Academic Neurology
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Khan will present to the attendee’s brief tales of innovation in educational scholarship.
Charting Your Course: Career Advancement Strategies for Academic Neurologists—Navigating the IMG Journey
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Dangayach will discuss how academic neurology offers tremendous opportunities for growth, leadership, innovation, and impact, yet international medical graduates (IMGs) often encounter unique challenges while navigating academic career pathways. This session will explore practical strategies for career advancement, with a focus on overcoming common barriers, building a strong professional identity, and creating opportunities for success in academic medicine. Emphasis will be placed on the critical roles of mentorship and sponsorship, highlighting how these relationships can accelerate career development, expand professional networks, and open doors to leadership positions. Through personal insights, real-world examples, and actionable recommendations, attendees will learn how to strategically cultivate mentors and sponsors, leverage their unique strengths as IMGs, and chart a fulfilling and impactful career in academic neurology. This session is relevant for trainees, early-career faculty, and established neurologists seeking to support the next generation of academic leaders.