Building relationships is key to making new connections and developing productive opportunities within our specialty, but it requires getting outside our comfort zones. Professional networking any other skill–practice makes perfect.  

When it comes to building your contacts within emergency medicine, ACEP Scientific Assembly is the Super Bowl. Let’s get you ready for the game.  

Pregame 

First, you need to have an idea where you want your career to go. Ask yourself:  Will I truly be happy in academics? Will I be happy working in community practice? What is the path within emergency medicine that will bring me the most fulfillment? 

When I talk about having these forward-thinking conversations with yourself, I mean it literally. Set a weekly appointment with yourself, and use that time to write down five and ten-year goals. Consider what you need to do to accomplish those goals. Making time to reflect helps you figure out where you want to go next. Once you know your dream career path, you can seek out leaders who are already on that road and make those connections.   

You also want to make sure your curriculum vitae (CV) is updated, along with a short personal bio. Use that weekly meeting with yourself to update your materials, and don’t forget to review your social media presence. Do your accounts offer a positive reflection of your personal interests and expertise? 

Prior to leaving for ACEP22, create or update your virtual business card (see Figure 1). If you have an iPhone, having a virtual card is just setting up your own contact page with your photo, who you represent, and long-term contact information. (Avoid using temporary school/employer emails that could become obsolete.) Setting up a virtual card on your phone makes it easy to quickly share your basic information with new contacts. 

As you’re getting ready for the convention, look through the faculty list. Circle the names of people you already know and need to reconnect with. Circle the names of faculty you would like to meet. Follow this same process for your fellow attendees. Usually, the list of attendees will be in the conference app.  

For the people I’m already acquainted with, I reach out via text message or email to let them know I’m going to be at the conference. It’s as simple as, “I can’t wait to see you at ACEP! Let’s grab coffee or a drink so we can catch up.”  

For those I’d like to meet at the conference, I look for ways we can cross paths. Will we be at the same reception? Do we have any shared friends? Is this person presenting a session? Will they be at a section or committee meeting at a certain time? Scientific Assembly is a big conference, so some advanced planning is often required to end up in the same room with potential connections.  

Game Time 

You’ve heard this before, but I’ll say it anyway: Dress for success. These are professional meetings, so pick clothes that make you feel competent and confident.  

Practice your elevator speech because first impressions are important. When our paths cross in the convention center hallway or escalator, how will you introduce yourself and start a conversation? We’re all emergency physicians, so try to include something specific or memorable to set yourself apart. This is where the advance planning comes in – if you’re already informed about the person you’re meeting, you’ll know enough about them to connect over shared interests, mutual colleagues, etc.  

Sometimes conversations feel awkward and slow, but don’t get discouraged. I think the best way to get a good discussion going is by asking questions. Most people like to talk about themselves! Keep asking questions and the conversation should begin to flow as you discover things you have in common. 

When I want to build a connection that extends beyond that initial conversation, I’ll say, “Hey, great meeting you/seeing you again! Can I send you my business card? What’s a good phone number or email for you?” Then I’ll message them with my virtual card along with a message that reiterates how good it was to see them and that I’d love to follow up on [insert topic we discussed]. I try to write something specific in my message that will remind me who they were because I know I’ll be scanning my messages later when I’m at the airport, and those hints will -prove helpful after a few days of meeting new people.

Postgame 

The postgame recap is as important as the preparation. You invested your time and money into attending this meeting – what did you take home? Who are those new contacts you collected? Did you make connections that could help advance your career?  

When I’m at the airport waiting for my flight home, I’ll circle back to my original list of people I wanted to meet to see how I did. I think it’s the perfect time, while the conference conversations are still fresh, to send follow-up messages to further those new connections.  

One last thing: I know it’s not always easy to connect with potential mentors, and many leaders in our specialty are very busy because they are engaged with so many things at once. Instead of asking for hours of their time, see if you can work on a project with them. Try to serve on an ACEP committee with them. Working together with individuals you respect is a great way to build meaningful relationships.  

Angela Siler Fisher, MD, FACEP, is the former associate chief for operations, section of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM).  She is a founding member of the BCM Section of Emergency Medicine and residency training program. She also served as the medical director of the Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Department. She is the founder of leadership consulting firm MaveRx.