Finding your way in academic medicine can feel like a puzzle, with many pieces competing for attention. Daniel Chu, M.D., Division Director of Gastrointestinal Surgery at UAB, has identified ten “threads” that, when woven together, provide guidance and structure. At the September Heersink Faculty Leadership Seminar, he shared practical advice on using these threads to build a successful career.
His ten threads are:
Daniel Chu, M.D.
- Become an expert
- Become organized
- Write the story (vision)
- Establish the (team) culture
- Foster creativity
- Invest in your people
- Leverage resources
- Be social
- Disseminate knowledge
- Be a leader
Become an expert
Developing true expertise is foundational in academic medicine. Chu illustrated this with the Dunning-Kruger effect, showing how early-career physicians often start at the “peak of Mount Stupid” with high confidence but limited skill. Experience can dip confidence into the “valley of despair” before gradually rising along the “slope of enlightenment.”
“To move along that x-axis, it takes time, focus, and practice,” he said, adding that expertise threads through every aspect of an academic career.
Become organized
Staying organized helps manage the many demands of academic medicine. Chu relies on the Outlook digital calendar, storing everything from patient information to hyperlinks in event notes, and color-coding clinical, research, and personal commitments for a quick overview.
Lab projects are centralized in shared cloud spreadsheets for collaborative tracking, and files are meticulously organized with clear prefixes and versioning. This discipline not only streamlines work but mirrors the organization needed for promotion and grant management.
Write the story (vision)
A clear research story supports focus, funding, and long-term impact. Chu described how his lab’s work evolved from surgical disparities in Alabama to health literacy, patient education, and access to care.
“Be like a dog on a bone,” one mentor advised, a mentality Chu adopted to persist through early skepticism and setbacks. Sequencing projects, documenting lessons, and refining the narrative created a cohesive “umbrella” story that guides his team. Even rejected grants or papers, he noted, contribute to future proposals and publications.
Establish the (team) culture
Strong team culture is critical, as few projects succeed in isolation. Chu illustrated this with a graph of cohesiveness versus productivity. “We all want to be in the green, the high-performing team,” he said, a team that is both cohesive and productive. Teams can also be cohesive but low-achieving, or productive but stressed. Understanding where a team falls helps guide efforts to strengthen collaboration and outcomes.
Foster creativity
Creativity is often underappreciated, especially in surgery. Chu encourages a psychologically safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing even “kooky or really crazy” ideas, with contributions recognized and celebrated.
“Creativity is one of those things that I think is a secret sauce for careers in academic medicine,” he said. Teams with varied perspectives can innovate, producing new approaches in research and clinical practice.
Invest in your people
Chu reflected on starting his lab in a small space with one colleague and its growth over 11 years, thanks to strong relationships and support. “A lot of it has to do with investing in people, not only those on your team, but also people above you,” he said, illustrating how prioritizing people creates a collaborative, high-functioning environment that drives long-term success.
Leverage resources
Identifying, aligning, and auditing resources is key to advancing research and productivity. “Certainly, there are many rich resources here at UAB… identifying those resources is one of the most pragmatic things that needs to be done very early,” Chu said.
Chu speaking at the Heersink Faculty Leadership Seminar
Early collaborations with residents, partnerships with centers at UAB, and partnerships with statewide organizations underscore this point. Leveraging resources also involves presenting and publishing findings, as well as aligning local, national, and international opportunities with your work.
Be social
Social interactions build relationships, strengthen cohesion, and open unexpected professional doors. Chu emphasized the importance of celebrating successes, both big and small, as an integral part of this thread.
Lab lunches, outings, and informal encounters at conferences or abroad can evolve into collaborations, as seen in his exchanges with the University of Buenos Aires and National Taiwan University, which led to long-term programs and trainee opportunities. By including people across career stages and backgrounds, small interactions can spark new ideas, turning celebrations into moments that expand the impact of your work.
Disseminate knowledge
Sharing knowledge at local, national, and international levels is key, with Chu encouraging faculty and trainees to say yes to talks, committees, and professional opportunities.
“You always learn something from them,” he said. Travel fellowships and visiting professorships, such as those offered by the American College of Surgeons, enable participants to exchange ideas globally, broaden their networks, and enhance their expertise.
Be a leader
Leadership is a mindset, not just a title. Chu highlighted four attributes of effective leaders: being supportive, results-oriented, open to diverse perspectives, and problem-solving. Emotional intelligence, including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, is central to guiding teams successfully.
“The true leader uses many of these elements; they’re not just one thing,” he said.
Effective leaders adapt their style—whether coaching, affiliative, authoritative, or democratic—depending on the situation, and leadership grows by recruiting team members with complementary strengths.
Looking ahead
Careers in academic medicine are rarely linear. Chu’s experiences show that they are built thread by thread, woven into expertise, resilience, and collaboration. To view the full recording of Chu’s talk, click here.
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