We look forward to seeing you October 19-20, 2024!

The biggest impediment to career transition is inertia.

SCHEDULE 

Day 1: Saturday, October 19, 2024

7:30–8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast with Faculty, Mentors and Recruiters

8:30–9:30 Building the Path to Your Future: One Brick at a Time

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-moles.jpgRebecca Lynne Moles, MD, CPC
Dr. Moles will provide practical and inspiring advice for how to successfully transition your career. She will teach you how to look forward, buy in to a career change (and get family buy in), and overcome your fear of change and the unknown. Dr. Moles will further provide insights on how to develop the tools needed for a successful transition. She will show you how to effectively prepare yourself for an exciting and somewhat unscripted future and overcome inertia to help you along your path. Questions & Answers

Rebecca Lynne Moles, MD, CPC is a Child Abuse Pediatrician who transitioned from academic medicine to health insurance utilization management as a Medical Director for Elevance. She is a certified professional coach with a special interest in physician burnout in early and midcareer physicians. Dr. Moles is a SEAK alumna. She has held faculty appointments at UConn, Yale, and UMass. She earned her BA and MD at the University of Rochester, completed an Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency at UMass and Child Abuse Pediatrics fellowship at Brown, and earned her professional coach certification from iPEC.

9:30–10:30 Introduction of the Mentors and the Recruiters The conference mentors and recruiters will introduce themselves and briefly describe their background and areas of interest.

10:30–11:15 Break and Mentoring and Recruiter Sign Up Time Attendees will sign up for individual sessions with recruiters and mentors.

11:15–12:00 How Physicians Can Leverage LinkedIn and ChatGPT to Turbocharge Their Networking

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-bayley.jpgRyan Bayley, MD
Many physicians seeking career change routinely overinvest in trivial aspects of the job hunt (ex: submitting resumes) while underestimating that which is truly important — networking and putting yourself in proximity of people doing the work. While an uncomfortable and nebulous idea for most of us, networking effectively is the single greatest predictor of career change success. Fortunately, technologies like LinkedIn and ChatGPT now make it easier than ever to take this vague yet essential concept and make it into a solvable problem. In this talk, Dr. Bayley will walk you through his step-wise approach for the “networking naive” and show you how to leverage technology to focus and systematize your networking to greatly increase your chance of career change success. Questions & Answers

Ryan Bayley, MD is an executive coach and physician advocate who has worked with thousands of clinicians to optimize their careers and happiness. He is the founder of Bayley Coaching Solutions (www.ryanbayleyMD.com), a physician-focused executive coaching and consulting firm. Dr Bayley is also a nationally recognized speaker and author, as well as a consultant to large healthcare organizations. Dr. Bayley completed his undergraduate at Harvard, and subsequently attended Vanderbilt Medical School. He also currently holds an associate adjunct position at Duke University Medical Center, where he leads courses on physician well-being and career design. Dr. Bayley is a SEAK alumnus.

12:00–1:00 LUNCH (Provided with Faculty, Mentors, and Recruiters)

1:00–1:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities as a Physician Advisor

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-eskra.jpgTracy Eskra, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAPL
Dr. Eskra will discuss the interesting and rewarding opportunities available as a physician advisor. She will cover hours/ working conditions and what physician advisors do including meetings with insurance medical directors, staff education, chart review, improving charting, challenging denials, preventing denials, contract analysis, literature searches, and appeals. Dr. Eskra will provide practical tips as to how to best position yourself for a physician advisor role, find and land these positions, and succeed at them. Questions & Answers

Tracy Eskra, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAPL serves as a physician advisor for ECU Health — Formerly Vidant Medical Center. Previously, Dr. Eskra served for 10 years at Vidant as Vice-President of Medical Affairs for Clinical Documentation and Efficiency. Dr. Eskra is an internist who formerly practiced both as a primary care physician and as a Hospitalist. Dr. Eskra earned her BS from Pittsburgh, her MD from Penn State and her MBA from Alvernia. Dr. Eskra is a SEAK alumna.

B. Navigating a Career as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL)

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-abunto.jpgMaria Abunto, MD, MPH
An insightful discussion with Dr. Maria Abunto as she explores the dynamic role of Medical Science Liaison (MSL) careers. Dr. Abunto will cover a day in the life of an MSL, strategies for building relationships with Key Opinion Leaders, and the diverse responsibilities within the profession. Drawing on her medical background, she will discuss why physicians excel in this role, offering candid insights into the pros and cons of an MSL career. The conversation will cover compensation, benefits, work-life balance, travel requirements, and practical tips for breaking into the field. Questions & Answers

Maria Abunto, MD, MPH, serves as a Senior Manager at Exact Sciences, where she enjoys leading a team of MSLs. With five years of dedicated experience in the field, Dr. Abunto embarked on her career as an MSL, quickly advancing to a senior management position. Demonstrating a passion for mentorship, she has actively guided numerous aspiring and current MSLs, extending her mentorship to include individuals within her current role. Dr. Abunto finds fulfillment in coaching and sharing insights about her career journey with those interested in exploring the dynamic role of a MSL. Her commitment to mentorship and professional development reflects her dedication to fostering growth within the MSL community.

1:50–2:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

2:00–2:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A.  Opportunities for Physicians in Pharma

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-scalera.jpgSushama A. Scalera, MD
Dr. Scalera will discuss the opportunities for physicians in the pharmaceutical industry including pharmacovigilance and risk management (drug safety), clinical development, and medical affairs. For each of these functional areas, she will provide an overview of the clinical credentials required as well as roles and responsibilities, including the day-to-day work, travel requirements, compensation ranges, and opportunities for growth. Dr. Scalera will also provide practical advice on the benefits and risks of transitioning from clinical medicine to industry, how to interpret job descriptions, and apply for positions. Questions & Answers

Sushama A. Scalera, MD is an emergency medicine physician who transitioned to become a pharmacovigilance (drug safety) physician. After serving as a Global Safety Lead, most recently with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, she became Managing Director of Scalera Consulting Group, a medical consulting firm providing medical monitoring, pharmacovigilance and risk management services to biotechnology companies. Dr. Scalera employs clinical physicians on consulting contracts and provides training in medical review of global case safety reports, pharmacovigilance procedures, and health authority regulations. She earned her BA at Wellesley College and her MD from Boston University.

B. Opportunities for Physicians as a Speaker

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-mcdermott.jpgRobert McDermott, MD
Dr. McDermott will offer an established strategy for securing paid speaking engagements. He will cover strategies for identifying your specialized area in speaking, methods for self-promotion, tactics for obtaining speaking opportunities, negotiation techniques for your fees, and ways to broaden your professional reach. He will also discuss various ways to leverage your speaking engagements to generate ancillary income. Finally, Dr. McDermott will provide practical advice on how to develop, improve and refine your public speaking skills so that you can deliver presentations of the highest caliber and foster a strong, positive reputation. Questions & Answers

Robert McDermott, MD is an allergist who founded the HEALING INTELLIGENCE™ Network with a mission to enhance wellness among physicians while simultaneously boosting efficiency and quality within hospital systems. Dr. McDermott has swiftly developed a notable presence in the public speaking circuit. In addition to his clinical work, he engages in one-on-one coaching for other physicians, innovation, and participates in speaking engagements representing Microsoft and Nuance, focusing on the advantages of artificial intelligence and the Dax platform in the medical field. His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University and a Medical Doctorate from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. McDermott is also an alumnus of SEAK.

2:50–3:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

3:00–3:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities for Physicians in Administration

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-joseph.jpgKevin Joseph, MD, MBA
Dr. Joseph will survey the diverse and plentiful non-clinical opportunities for physicians in medical administration. He will explain the varied rolls physician administrators may perform and the general responsibilities of these roles within healthcare systems. Dr. Joseph will also discuss earning potential, lifestyle, benefits, part time rolls, opportunities for advancement, and how physician administrators can positively impact both patients and care givers. Most importantly, Dr. Joseph will provide advice for how to best position yourself for transitioning into medical administration, break into this field and succeed in this field. Questions & Answers

Kevin Joseph, MD, MBA has vast experience as a senior level healthcare executive. He currently serves as Market Chief Clinical Officer at Ascension Health, where he has approximately 100 physician leaders reporting to him directly or indirectly. Other roles Dr. Joseph has served in with healthcare systems include Senior VP for Inpatient Operations, Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. He is the author of the award-winning book Cracking the Healthcare Leadership Code: How Purpose, Humility, and Accessibility Can Transform Your Organization. Dr. Joseph earned his BS at Johns Hopkins, his MD at Vanderbilt, and his MBA at UMass and is board certified in emergency medicine.

B. Opportunities for Physicians in Knowledge Consulting

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-cooper.jpgRobert J. Cooper, MD, FACE, FACP
Dr. Cooper will explain how to supplement your clinical income through consulting with knowledge companies. He will explain how this work can be quite lucrative (three to four figures per hour), can be done at a high volume, and how this work will often improve your clinical knowledge and skills. Dr. Cooper will describe the various forms of assignments that can be obtained including surveys, phone interviews and focus groups. He will discuss how to get the work, turnaround times, compliance issues and will provide practical tips to start, build, and run a lucrative knowledge consulting practice. Dr. Cooper will also provide a list of knowledge companies which utilize physicians. Questions & Answers

Robert J. Cooper, MD, FACE, FACP is very active in non-clinical pursuits including knowledge company consulting, file review consulting, and expert witnessing. He is Boarded in both endocrinology and internal medicine, is clinically active and is a graduate of SUNY StonyBrook and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Cooper is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts University. He is a SEAK alumnus.

3:50–4:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

4:00–4:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities in Health Insurance and Utilization Review

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-vitale.jpgJonathan Vitale, DO, MBA, CPE, MS, NCC
Dr. Vitale will describe the intellectually stimulating opportunities available for physicians as medical directors tasked with utilization reviews and other duties. He will explain the types of utilization reviews that may be needed and what medical directors may do on a day-to-day basis. Dr. Vitale will answer common questions about utilization review and working for payors and will offer insights into hours, working conditions (including the growing number of work from home opportunities), compensation, and benefits. Dr. Vitale will discuss who this work might be a good/poor fit for, and most importantly, how to break into and succeed in health insurance and utilization review. Questions & Answers

Jonathan Vitale, DO, MBA, CPE, MS, NCC has almost 10 years’ experience as a medical director performing utilization reviews, managing UM physicians, and other health insurance related duties. Dr. Vitale is board certified in Family Medicine and he is currently a Manager for Utilization Management Physicians at a major national health insurance company. He is also an experienced physician career coach and specializes in helping physicians transition to UM remote careers (www.drjonathan.com). Dr. Vitale is the founder of the popular Facebook group “Remote Careers for Physicians” with over 15,000 active physician members. He earned his BA in Psychology and MS in Counseling from the University of Rochester. He earned his DO from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed residency in Family Medicine at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. He then obtained a MBA from Western Governor University and is a Certified Physician Executive. Prior to transitioning to his non-clinical career, he practiced family medicine in New York City where he resides. Dr. Vitale is a SEAK alumnus. He is an accomplished pianist and vocalist and you can follow him on Instagram @therealdrjonathan.

B. Opportunities with Consulting Firms

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-jaffin.jpgJonathan Jaffin, MD
Dr. Jaffin will survey the considerable full-time and part-time opportunities for physicians with consulting firms. He will explain why the work is intellectually stimulating, how consulting firms are called in to solve difficult problems, and how they identify both the problem and the solution to the problem. He will discuss travel requirements, work from home possibilities, hours, compensation, opportunities for advancement and what consultants may do day-to-day including education, interviewing clients, research, etc. Dr. Jaffin will provide advice on landing a position at a consulting firm. Questions & Answers

Jonathan Jaffin, MD, currently retired, had 11 years experience as a Specialist Executive with Deloitte — a top global advisory firm which employs dozens of physicians. Prior to transitioning to consulting, he served in the United States Army for over 30 years and his roles included Chief of Staff of the Dismounted Battle Injury Task Force, Director, Health Policy and Services, Deputy Commander and Acting Commander US Army Medical Research and Material Command, and Commander (CEO) of the Walter Reed Health Care System. Dr. Jaffin is a trauma surgeon who earned his MD at Johns Hopkins and his AB at Princeton.

4:50–6:00 Networking Reception with Colleagues, Faculty, Mentors, Recruiters and Employers 

Day 2: Sunday, October 20, 2024

7:30–8:00 Continental Breakfast with Faculty, Mentors and Recruiters

8:00–8:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities for Physicians in Coaching

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-brown.jpgStephanie Brown, MD, PCC
Dr. Brown will describe the financially, personally, and professionally rewarding opportunities for physicians available in the field of coaching. Coaching is a rapidly growing industry that does not require Boards, residency, or even a license. Dr. Brown will discuss breaking into this work including available coaching certifications, what coaches do on a daily basis, the diverse coaching needs of physicians and other professionals, how to get your first few clients, and how to build a busy practice. Dr. Brown will explain the many advantages of this work including being able to work from home, flexible hours, and the immense satisfaction of helping clients dramatically improve multiple dimensions of their lives. She will give advice on how to set and collect fees and how to successfully develop, grow, and sustain a coaching practice. Questions & Answers

Dr. Stephanie Brown, MD, PCC, is not just a life coach but a dynamic keynote speaker and facilitator, consistently inspiring and empowering her audience. As a recognized Top 1% Life Coach by Yahoo Finance, she brings a wealth of experience to her speaking engagements. Dr. Brown has facilitated group coaching sessions for various audiences and conducted training workshops on “Conflict Resolution and Boundaries” during the World Bank’s Wellness week. Dr. Brown extends her impact through exclusive workshops and retreats. These include her most recent endeavors such as Illuminate U!, Re-enVision, Refresh Retreat, and Realign Retreat. Each of these events reflects her commitment to guiding individuals through the process of challenging beliefs for positive change, fostering personal and professional transformation. Dr. Brown is a family practice physician who earned her BS at Duke and her MD at Howard.

B. Opportunities for Physician with Disability Insurers

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-driscoll.jpgJennifer Driscoll, MD
Dr. Driscoll will discuss how and why disability insurance companies retain and utilize physicians to evaluate medical evidence from claimants in light of applicable policy language. Included in her presentation will be work setting (employed v. independent consultant), working conditions (including suitability for remote work), what a typical day may look like, the types of questions you may be asked to address, sample cases, compensation, how to succeed in the field, and how to position yourself and break into this work. Questions & Answers

Jennifer Driscoll, MD has been a full-time employed, remotely based Medical Consultant for Unum since 2022. Dr. Driscoll is a family practice physician with 18 years of clinical experience. She is a mother of six who earned her BS from the US Naval Academy, her MS from MIT and her MD from the Uniformed Services University. Prior to attending medical school Dr. Driscoll was an engineer.

8:50–9:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

9:00–9:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities in Life Insurance

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-wetzel.jpgMichael H. Wetzel, MD, DBIM, CLU®
Dr. Wetzel will describe the rewarding and intellectually stimulating opportunities for physicians with the numerous US Life Insurance Companies. He will explain the underwriting and other interesting work physicians typically do in a life insurance company, hours, work environment (work from home often available), the compensation range that can be expected for new hires, the typical corporate compensation and benefit structure, what the work consists of on a day-to-day basis, opportunity for advancement, certification in insurance medicine, and the specialties and clinical experience which are most appropriate for this industry. Dr. Wetzel will explain how and where to obtain the skills needed to succeed as a medical director at a life insurance company. He will provide practical tips for positioning yourself for such work and landing a first-time position in the life insurance industry. Questions & Answers

Michael H. Wetzel, MD, DBIM, CLU® is the Chief Medical Director for Equitable Financial. Prior to Equitable, Dr. Wetzel was a VP, Medical Director with Prudential and an AVP, Associate Medical Director with the Hartford. He is board certified in Family Medicine and Insurance Medicine. Dr. Wetzel earned his BS at Penn State and his MD from Thomas Jefferson Medical College.

B. Opportunities with Medical Device Companies

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-daccach.jpgJuan (Juancho) Daccach, MD
Dr. Daccach will provide insight into the numerous full-time and part-time/contract opportunities for physicians available in the medical device field. He will discuss what physicians may do on a day-to-day basis including product development, data interpretation, protocol design and review, risk management, regulatory, safety, education, and recalls. Dr. Daccach will discuss which specialties are typically the best fit for device companies, working conditions (including potential work from home), hours, travel, licensure/certification requirements, compensation, and opportunities for advancement. Most importantly, Dr. Daccach will provide advice for how to best position yourself and land your first job in the medical device industry and how to succeed in this environment. Questions & Answers

Juan (Juancho) Daccach, MD has over 10 years’ experience in the medical device industry, including Medical Safety Officer, Global Orthopedics, Joint Reconstruction for Johnson & Johnson and currently as VP Global Product Safety for Merz Aesthetics. Dr. Daccach is an Orthopedic Surgeon with fellowships on both total knee and hip replacements and prosthetic joint infection management. He received his MD at Pontificia Universidad Javieriana in Colombia and completed his fellowships at the Universidad de Barcelona in Spain. Dr. Daccach is also a certified personal, executive, and health coach.

9:50–10:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

10:00–10:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities as a Medical Writer

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-leafe.jpgMorgan Leafe, MD, MHA
Dr. Leafe will survey the opportunities available to physicians in the interesting and rewarding field of medical writing — a field where boards or even an active license are often not required. She will discuss opportunities as both an employed medical writer and a work from home freelancer. Dr. Leafe will explain the wide variety of projects medical writers may work on. She will also discuss compensation, work setting, available training, what employers and clients are looking for, and most importantly, how to best position yourself to break into this field and find your first position or assignment. Questions & Answers

Morgan Leafe, MD, MHA is a successful medical writer who has experience in many forms of medical writing including CME/CE needs assessments & content creation, board-style multiple choice questions & explanations, patient-facing educational materials & blogs, advisory board & conference coverage, slide decks, news stories and medical copywriting. She is also a professional resume writer for physicians as well as serving as a career counselor for aspiring physician medical writers. Doctor Leafe is board certified in both pediatrics and clinical informatics and has 14 years of clinical experience. She received her BS from Rutgers and her MD from Thomas Jefferson. Dr. Leafe is a SEAK alumna.

B. Opportunities in Healthcare IT and Medical Informatics

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-young.jpgBrian Young, MD
Dr. Young will provide an overview of the opportunities in healthcare IT and medical informatics. He will discuss the varied classes of employers that typically hire physicians including vendors, providers, insurers, and governmental agencies. Dr. Young will explain the various types of projects physicians involved in medical IT may work on and will provide practical advice for breaking into this field. In addition, Dr. Young will recount his own inspirational story of overcoming adversity and breaking into a rewarding non-clinical career. Questions & Answers

Brian Young, MD is an experienced physician informaticist. He most recently worked at a system VP/Director level for CommonSpirit health, a very large integrated health system. His previous role was in the Duke University Health System implementation (5 go-live waves over 2 ½ years) of the EPIC system as a provider trainer for the inpatient, ambulatory, and transplant applications. Dr. Young received his MD and BS from Wake Forest, his Masters in Predictive Analytics (MS) from Northwestern University, and an MBA degree from University of Cincinnati. Previously, Dr. Young practiced as an emergency room physician following both surgical and internal medicine residency training. Dr. Young is a SEAK alumnus.

10:50–11:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

11:00–12:00 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities for Physicians with the CDC and Federal Government

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-houry.jpgDebra Houry, MD, MPH
Dr. Houry will describe the diverse roles physicians fill at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as opportunities for non-clinical careers within the federal government. She will describe the day-to-day of a federal employee, qualifications needed, work settings and locations, salary structure, benefits, and more. Dr. Houry will share several examples of pathways to acquiring non-clinical employment with the federal government. Questions & Answers

Debra Houry, MD, MPH is the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at CDC. In this role, she is responsible for establishing, strengthening, and maintaining collaboration and coordination across CDC’s national centers including infectious diseases, chronic disease, environmental health, injury prevention, and public health infrastructure. She also provides overall direction to, and coordination of, the scientific and medical programs. Prior to this role, she served as CDC’s Acting Principal Deputy Director for nearly two years and as the Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control for over seven years. She previously served as vice chair and tenured associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and as associate professor in the Rollins School of Public Health. Dr. Houry also served as an attending physician at Grady Memorial Hospital in the emergency department and in the medication assisted treatment clinic for opioid use disorder. She received her MD and MPH degrees from Tulane University and completed her residency training in emergency medicine at Denver Health Medical Center.

B. Opportunities in Real Estate

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-faridani.jpgVince Faridani, MD, MBA, FACP, SFHM
Dr. Faridani will provide advice on how to earn money from real estate — work that can be done full time or part time and from anywhere in the country. He will cover buying property to rent out, investing in real estate syndications, and saving and making money by obtaining a real estate license. Dr Faridani will provide suggestions and insights in many areas of real estate including how to identify properties to buy, when to buy, how to find no drama tenants, how to identify syndicate investments, and how to manage property without it becoming a time suck or hassle. He will also provide insights on typical long-term and short-term payouts and cash flows from real estate investments as well as discussing the risks involved. Questions & Answers

Vince Faridani, MD, MBA, FACP, SFHM is a practicing inpatient hospice physician and locums hospitalist. He also maintains a part time real estate side business involving buying and renting out homes, investing in real estate syndicates, and being a real estate broker who makes and saves money by putting in offers on property. Dr. Faridani also serves as an expert witness. He obtained his BS from the University of South Florida and his MD from Saba University later training at Virginia Tech. Dr. Faridani is a SEAK alumnus.

12:00–1:00 LUNCH (Provided with Faculty, Mentors and Recruiters)

1:00–1:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities for Physicians in Medical Communications

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-radwan.jpgAlia Radwan, MD, MS
Dr. Radwan will explain what medical communications companies do, including promotion and medical affairs. She will discuss why med comms companies hire physicians as well as the widely varied and interesting tasks physicians may be called upon to assist with. Dr. Radwan will describe what a typical day might be like working in med comms and will discuss work from home availability, compensation, and opportunity for advancement. She will describe what med comms companies are looking for from physicians and provide practical recommendations for how to break into this field. Questions & Answers

Alia Radwan, MD, MS is an Associate Medical Director at Avant Healthcare — having previously served as a medical writer and then a senior medical writer. Avant Healthcare is a full-service medical and marketing communications agency which partners with pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and diagnostic clients to engage and educate healthcare professionals. Dr. Radwan trained for two years in OB/Gyn. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and her MD from Chicago Medical School.

B. Opportunities as a Physician Inventor

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-wind.jpgBrian Wind, DO, FAOCO
Opportunity abounds for physicians who can think of novel ways to solve problems. Inventing can be intellectually, personally, and financially rewarding. Dr. Wind will provide advice for physicians for how to bring their invention ideas to fruition including conception, regulatory issues, development, production, and sales/marketing. He will discuss the patenting process and options for monetizing your patents and provide practical advice for physicians to turn their ideas into revenue streams and or businesses. Questions & Answers

Brian Wind, DO, FAOCO is an ophthalmologist who has had a 30 year career. He is the inventor and CEO of Steri-Write, the world’s first and only UV-C LED pen sanitizing device. Dr. Wind managed, developed, and manufactured the product from conception to pilot to the on-the shelf product being sold world-wide. He has authored and been issued 5 US patents on UV-C writing instrument sanitizing technology. Dr. Wind earned his undergraduate degree at Ithaca College and his DO at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a SEAK Alumnus.

1:50–2:00 Break and Networking Opportunity 

2:00–2:50 BREAKOUT SESSION (Choose One)

A. Opportunities for Physicians in Clinical Research

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-veilleux.jpgKelsey M. Veilleux, MD
Dr. Veilleux will survey the varied roles that physicians may fill in clinical research including Project Coordinator, Project Manager, Research Operations Manager, Regulatory Manager, Principal Investigator, and Co-Investigator. Areas she will discuss include what these roles may involve, what physicians serving in these roles may do on a day-to-day basis, how to obtain these roles, compensation structures, work from home availability, and opportunities for advancement. Dr. Veilleux will also specify how and why many of the roles discussed do not require boards or even a license. Questions & Answers

Kelsey M. Veilleux, MD is a Project Manager for Dartmouth Health where she has worked on various research including opioid use disorder and a very large multi-center PCORI project studying colon cancer prevention. Dr. Veilleux transitioned to clinical research directly after graduating from medical school in 2019. She obtained both her BS and MD from the University of Vermont and is a SEAK alumna.

B. Opportunities for Physicians in Teaching

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-romao.jpgIsabela Romao, MD
Dr. Romao will discuss the full time, part time, and contract teaching opportunities available to physicians. She will provide tips for how to find and land jobs, expected compensation ranges, time commitment, and typical duties. Dr. Romao will provide practical suggestions for how to locate and obtain teaching positions. Questions & Answers

Isabela Romao, MD is an Assistant Professor at The New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is an endocrinologist who still sees patients one day per week. The rest of her time she teaches medical students. Part of her responsibilities include teaching a global health class which has afforded Dr. Ramao the opportunity to travel to Ghana and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Ramao transitioned to teaching from private practice. She earned her BA at Bucknell and her MD from New York Medical College. She is a SEAK alumna.

Conference Mentors

You will find our faculty very giving of their time and very willing to answer your individual questions after their presentations, at the networking functions and when not presenting. To increase your networking experience and increase one-on-one attention, we have also assembled a team of mentors to be available to talk one-on-one with the attendees (at no additional charge).  

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-abunto.jpgMaria Abunto, MD, MPH, serves as a Senior Manager at Exact Sciences, where she enjoys leading a team of Medical Science Liasons. With five years of dedicated experience in the field, Dr. Abunto embarked on her career as an MSL, quickly advancing to a senior management position. Demonstrating a passion for mentorship, she has actively guided numerous aspiring and current MSLs, extending her mentorship to include individuals within her current role. Dr. Abunto finds fulfillment in coaching and sharing insights about her career journey with those interested in exploring the dynamic role of a MSL. Her commitment to mentorship and professional development reflects her dedication to fostering growth within the MSL community.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-bayley.jpgRyan Bayley, MD is a successful physician coach who has worked with thousands of clinicians. His practice (www.ryanbayleyMD.com) focuses on burnout resilience, career transition, and leadership and serves both individual physicians (and non-physicians) and institutions. Dr. Bayley is an emergency medicine physician and SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-best.jpgDavid Best, MD, MBA is the CEO and Co-Founder of the MDea family of companies, including BESTMSLs (BESTMSLs.com), a recruiting and contract medical science liaison organization, The Doctor’s Channel (TheDoctorsChannel.com), the world’s largest short form video site for doctors including CME, and MDea (MDeaNY.com), a medical communications agency. Celebrating over 40 years in medical communications working at such companies as Saatchi & Saatchi, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Elsevier. He is currently on the United States Olympic Committee for Bobsled/Skeleton. If David looks familiar, he was on the CBS reality series Greatest American Dog with his Jack Russell terrier, Elvis.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-brown.jpgStephanie Brown, MD, PCC is a coach who specializes in assisting professional women and physicians who feel there is something more for them in life. Dr. Brown is family physician with over 20 years’ experience and a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-chadha.jpgSavi Chadha, MD, MPH is a Medical Science Liaison based in Santa Clara, California. He received his MD from St. James School of Medicine, a Master’s in Public Health from Benedictine University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Chadha is a member of the MSL Society, the Medical Affairs Professional Society, and is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-chang.jpgSharon Chang, MD, FACS is a practicing breast surgeon and SEAK alumna who works for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Part of her role with Kaiser is coaching clinicians and helping them to prevent and cope with burnout and feeling overwhelmed.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-daccach.jpgJuan (Juancho) Daccach, MD is an orthopedic surgeon who has over 10 years’ experience in the medical device industry. Dr. Daccach is also a certified personal, executive, and health coach.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-davis.jpgMark Davis, MD is a family practice and emergency medicine physician and SEAK alumnus whose non-clinical pursuits include politics (he serves as Marion (Ohio) County Commissioner), expert witness and various fulfilling volunteer pursuits in his community.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-eskra.jpgTracy Eskra, MD, MBA, CPE, FAAPL is a SEAK alumna hospitalist whose currently serves as a full-time remote physician advisor and previously served for 10 years in medical administration as a Vice-President for Medical Affairs at a 900+ bed academic health system.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-faridani.jpgVince Faridani, MD, MBA, FACP, SFHM is a practicing inpatient hospice physician and locums hospitalist whose non-clinical pursuits include real estate and expert witnessing. He is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-friedman.jpgBruce Friedman, MD is a critical care physician and SEAK alumnus, who non-clinical experience includes telemedicine medical director, expert witness, advising, consulting, educational speaking, and developing new products.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-goldberg.jpgJohn Golberg, MD is an orthopedic surgeon who retired from surgery in 2015 but maintains a part-time clinical practice and has developed a busy consulting business in the area of IMEs, utilization review and medical-legal file reviews. Dr. Golberg is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-holland.jpgDr. Carrie Holland is a family physician and personal trainer turned full-time certified life coach at carriehollandmd.com and host of the weekly podcast, Strong as a Working Mom. She helps smart women get strong — physically and mentally — through a combination of eating, moving, and (most importantly) thinking. Using mindset management, habit science, nutrition, and exercise, Carrie helps overstretched women manage the intersection of career, family, and wellness to make self-care a reality. She is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-huntly.jpgJacqueline Huntly, MD, MPH is a career and self-leadership development coach (www.thrivetoleadmd.com). She has extensive experience helping physicians bring energy, purpose and joy back into their lives through career transformation both in clinical and non-clinical fields. She believes that by using their imagination and by appreciating and taking inventory of all their skills, interests and talents, physicians can discover new and exciting ways to design a thriving life and career.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2023-laff.jpgStacie Laff, MD is a pediatrician whose non-clinical experience includes health insurance medical director, telehealth, and expert witnessing. Dr. Laff is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2023-leafe.jpgMorgan Leafe, MD, MHA is double board-certified in pediatrics and clinical informatics and her non-clinical experience includes professional resume and Linkedin profile writing, freelance medical writing, editing, and copywriting, and clinical informatics. Dr. Leafe serves as a career counselor for aspiring physician medical writers and is a SEAK alumna.

Megan Horine Leivant, MD, DABIM, AALU is an internal medicine physician who has over 5 years experience as a life insurance medical director.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-lurvey.jpgLawrence Lurvey, MD, JD, MEd, FACOG is an OB/GYN and SEAK alumnus who will share insights on how to address burnout, position yourself for a future career transition especially when you may need to delay that transition, and use community involvement to both find personal fulfillment and help to make a difference.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-lutz.jpgDavid Jonathan Lutz, MD, FAAPMR is a Utilization Review Medical Director for Anthem in the field of Interventional Pain Medicine/PM&R. Dr. Lutz is also a real estate investor in single family homes. Dr. Lutz is a SEAK Alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-mcdermott.jpgRobert McDermott, MD is an allergist whose non-clinical endeavors include coaching other physicians, paid speaking engagements on physician burnout and being a physician inventor. Dr. McDermott is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-mcknight.jpgTimothy J. McKnight, MD, MSHM is a pediatric hospitalist and SEAK alumnus whose diverse non-clinical experience includes, physician evaluator, health insurance, value consulting, and most recently, medical school administration helping underrepresented minority students to gain entry into medical school via early assurance pathways.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-mitchell.jpgR. Brian Mitchell, MD is a part-time practicing hematology/oncology physician and SEAK alumnus who has experience with expert witnessing, file reviews, and locums tenens. Dr. Mitchell also enjoys mentoring physicians looking to transition on how to figure out what their assets are and what their monthly income will be from those assets, how to figure out where they’ll be in 5 or 10 years, and issues such as medical insurance and how to start their own company.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-moles.jpgRebecca Lynne Moles, MD, CPC is a Child Abuse Pediatrician who now serves as a remote based health insurance utilization management medical director and a certified professional coach with a special interest in physician burnout in early and midcareer physicians. Dr. Moles is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-nku.jpgNkiruka Ndu, MD, FACP, QME, CCHP-P is an internal medicine physician and SEAK alumna whose non-clinical activity includes independent medical examinations (IMEs), expert witness for correctional healthcare cases and independent contractor utilization reviews.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-nordness.jpgRobert Nordness, MD, MPH has had diverse roles at various-sized pharma companies and is Triple-Board Certified (Emergency Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine). He has special interest and experience in mentoring and assisting physicians who wish to break into pharma.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-olele.jpgIfeanyi Olele, DO, MBA, MS is a psychiatrist and SEAK alumnus. His non-clinical activities encompass being a medical reviewer/advisor to Health Line Media and a preceptor to PA/NP students. Dr. Olele actively creates social media content to promote mental health awareness. He is also the CEO of Genesis Psychiatric Solutions and Genesis TMS & Wellness, where he specializes in innovative mental health treatments and entrepreneurship in the medical field.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-patel.jpgSmita Patel, DO, FAASM is a neurologist and SEAK alumna. Her non-clinical pursuits include utilization review and expert witnessing.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-radwan.jpgAlia Radwan, MD, MS trained in OB/GYN and later transitioned to a career in medical communications.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-romao.jpgIsabela Romao, MD is an endocrinologist and SEAK alumna who transitioned from private practice to teaching medical students.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-roux.jpgJennifer Roux, MD is a pain medicine physician who works remotely in utilization review while being a full-time mom with two school age kids. Dr. Roux is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-suhail.jpgJawaria Suhail, MD is a Family Medicine physician who serves as a coach offering the full spectrum of coaching services to physicians looking to transition out of medicine including resume writing, LinkedIn profile coaching, and interview preparation. Dr. Suhail has seven years’ experience in utilization review and is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-tapley.jpgKaryn L. Tapley, MD, MBA is an OB/GYN and integrative medicine physician and SEAK alumnus whose non-clinical experience includes locum tenens, running a successful and growing medical spa, real estate, financial planning, serving as a yacht broker, serving as a ringside physician, serving as a laboratory director, entrepreneur in the rare plant business, cannabis consulting and coaching physicians on the steps they can take to obtain personal and financial freedom, even if have student loan debt or other challenges.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-terry.jpgJonathan Terry, DO, QME, ABIHM, IFMCP is an employed and private practice psychiatrist whose non-clinical pursuits include expert witnessing, teaching in medical schools and residencies, authoring/publishing books, consulting for nonprofits, and coaching physicians seeking to empower their clinical or nonclinical practices. Dr. Terry is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-veilleux.jpgKelsey M. Veilleux, MD transitioned to her career in clinical research directly from medical school and is knowledgeable of various jobs in the field that do not require boards or a license. She is a SEAK alumna.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-vitale.jpgJonathan Vitale, DO, MBA, CPE, MS, NCC is a family physician and SEAK Alumnus who has almost 10 years’ experience as a medical director performing utilization reviews, managing UM physicians, and other health insurance related duties. He is an experienced physician career coach and specializes in helping physicians transition to UM remote careers (www.drjonathan.com). Dr. Vitale is the founder of the popular Facebook group “Remote Careers for Physicians” with over 15,000 active physician members.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-wind.jpgBrian Wind, DO, FAOCO is an ophthalmologist and SEAK alumnus. He is an inventor and entrepreneur who serves as the CEO of Steri-Write, the world’s first and only UV-C LED pen sanitizing device.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-yeh.jpgDavid Yeh, MD is a nuclear physician and radiologist (still practices part time), investment advisor, financial advisor and the author of the book The Busy Doctor’s Investment Guide (www.busydoctorsinvestmentguide.com) — which is offered free to SEAK attendees. His Wealthy Doctor Institute, LLC, (www.wealthydoctorinstitute.com) is a registered investment advisor. Dr. Yeh is a SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-young.jpgBrian Young, MD is an experienced physician informaticist and SEAK alumnus.

seak-speakercircles-ncc-chicago-2024-zimmerman.jpgSue Zimmermann, MD is an orthopedic surgeon and SEAK alumna. Her non-clinical experience includes teaching physician assistants and writing and editing for a board review company.