Building a successful trauma practice in academics.

Building a successful trauma practice in the academic medicine sector requires planning, contemplation, and continuous reevaluation. Although there are no rigid formulas, there are some common sense approaches that can help you start along the path toward a successful academic trauma career. This article outlines a blueprint that I have found helpful in establishing my academic practice. There are 4 major areas of emphasis that we will discuss: (1) the importance of a definable career path and goals; (2) developing a small understanding of the business aspects of medicine and trauma; (3) the value of developing a niche within the practice of trauma; and (4) The importance of developing complementary orthopaedic skills outside the realm of conventional trauma. Occasionally, the third and fourth areas may overlap.