Author: Jordan Francke, MD, MPH
IARS 2026 Annual Meeting coverage
Academic success in anesthesiology depends less on simply holding a faculty or residency position and more on how individuals approach learning, mentorship, preparation, and professional growth. During the 2026 IARS and SOCCA Annual Meeting, academic leaders used humor and reverse advice to describe the behaviors that lead to mediocrity—and the habits that help physicians thrive.
Olubukola Nafiu, MD, MSc, contrasted viewing anesthesiology as merely a job with treating it as a long-term career. Physicians who approach their work as a job may focus only on completing assigned cases, earning a paycheck, and doing the minimum required. Those who view anesthesiology as a career actively develop their skills, pursue advancement, and seek opportunities to make a lasting impact.
Academic stagnation is more likely when physicians:
- Avoid mentors and sponsors
- Decline research and scholarly opportunities
- Remain unaware of promotion requirements
- Isolate themselves from colleagues
- Complete their clinical responsibilities and immediately disengage
- Make no effort to develop a long-term professional plan
Dr. Nafiu advised physicians to begin planning for their future early, surround themselves with motivated mentors and sponsors, and learn from the successes and mistakes of others.
Sujatha Ramachandran, MD, MACM, focused on the attitudes and behaviors that distinguish successful residents. Strong residents consistently demonstrate clinical excellence, a dependable work ethic, effective teamwork, emotional resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning.
Successful residents recognize unexpected clinical situations as opportunities to contribute and improve. For example, a difficult airway occurring immediately after a scheduled shift may provide an important opportunity to help the team, care for a patient, and strengthen airway-management skills.
They also actively request feedback rather than waiting for formal evaluations. They prepare thoroughly for complex cases by reviewing textbooks, primary literature, and the patient’s complete medical record. This preparation may reveal important information that changes the anesthetic plan.
Residents who want to guarantee stagnation should do the opposite:
- Avoid preparation
- Perform only the minimum required
- Use “work-life balance” to justify disengagement
- Skip educational conferences
- Avoid feedback
- Decline opportunities that require additional effort
Key Takeaways
A physician’s academic trajectory is strongly influenced by daily choices. Success requires curiosity, preparation, reliability, mentorship, and a willingness to pursue opportunities beyond minimum expectations.
Work-life balance remains important, but it should not become a justification for avoiding growth, teamwork, or professional responsibility. Residents and faculty members who consistently seek feedback, prepare carefully, support their colleagues, and invest in long-term development are more likely to build meaningful and successful academic careers.
The quality of a residency experience often depends not only on the institution but also on how the resident chooses to participate, learn, and contribute each day.
Thank you to IARS for allowing us to summarize this important coverage from the 2026 Annual Meeting.