Practicing clinicians vital in getting young clinicians interested, involved

Key takeaways:

• Young clinicians are hesitant to get involved because they want work-life balance.
• Effort from the practicing clinician side is needed.
• Getting involved does not always require a huge time commitment.

With more and more younger clinicians trying to balance family time with their work, it can be difficult to get them involved in organizations and leadership positions.

According to Frank S. Virant, MD, FAAAAI, 2025 to 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology president, it takes effort from more practiced, senior clinicians to increase involvement among those clinicians just out of training.

“People in practice or affiliated with training programs should give back and help young clinicians get involved,” Virant told Healio. “One way to do this is by teaching the people right behind you that are in training to expand their focus beyond their own practice.”

Virant said it is also important to break down the common misconception that being involved is a major time commitment. He recommends starting off with a committee.

“Get involved with committees. You’ll be pleasantly surprised,” he told Healio. “It’s not a lot of time crunch, and you’ll learn from people that are like minded.”

Failure to inspire and excite the next generation of clinicians could be detrimental to the future of organizations and important collaboration, Virant said.

“If we want to keep this going, we really need to get some skin in the game,” Virant told Healio.

Meetings, specifically the AAAAI Annual Meeting, are a great place for practicing clinicians to share their own experiences and how rewarding it is to be involved. Virant said it is also a great starting point for young clinicians that are curious or already interested in getting involved.

According to Virant, getting involved starts with simple questions that even timid young clinicians can ask. They can first ask who to call or who to email for more information, and once they are ready to make the commitment, they can inquire about the next steps.

The 2025 AAAAI/World Allergy Organization Joint Congress takes place Feb. 28 to March 3.

For more information:

Frank S. Virant, MD, FAAAAI, can be reached at fvirant@nwasthma.com.