Twenty top tips to triumph in dermatology

1 Focus on a subject that excites you Pick and develop a theme that you are genuinely interested in and feel ownership of. Follow your own star. You will quickly be considered an expert. 2 Find yourself a mentor Someone more experienced and preferably outside your department can guide difficult decisions and give invaluable personal advice in your career. Friends and mentors are important. 3 Be clinically relevant and question dogma Choose clinically relevant research topics. Integrate your clinical and research expertise. Ask simple questions. Don’t accept the status quo. Don’t be overawed by your seniors’ mistakes. 4 Be original Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Be aware of what others are doing in your field; make sure with repeated literature searches. 5 Make research aims achievable and try to make a big impact Limit your research strategy and study aims to realistic goals. Build on successfully completed small steps. But still be ambitious – aim to make that breakthrough. 6 Developing ideas – think outside the box If you have an idea, work on it yourself. Don’t expect others to do your work. If you think of a new angle to dermatology research or practice, stick with it until it is established. Dermatology constantly changes. Areas you can’t understand are often ripe for a rethink. But not all your ideas will be good ones: learn to be self-critical and when to accept direction change. 7 Think globally and be willing to move The world is a small place and ideas are international. Consider moving to where your ideas and career can flourish better. Moving is hugely stimulating, and people suddenly value you more. 8 Discover the best technology And learn how to apply it. Think and explore laterally – link up with experts in other fields. 9 Colleagues are essential Co-operate with colleagues and learn to delegate. To be more effective build up a team. Get to know and support your colleagues. Help them develop good ideas. Share the eventual success – multiple names on papers and presentations. Try to see the best in someone when giving a reference. 10 It’s easy to publish Plan your research to be publishable in high-ranking journals, but match your manuscript quality realistically to a journal. Get a ‘critical friend’ to comment. Delete verbosity. Follow slavishly editors’ suggestions.