Choosing a research project and a research mentor.

A large number of pathways to research are possible in the cardiovascular sciences, and the specifics of what and how to choose depend on numerous factors, as a function of both the individual and the broad environment. Completion of a research project is almost always beneficial to early-career individuals, whether or not research plays a major role in their subsequent careers. Success in choosing a project depends on many factors and individuals. It is almost universally accepted that having 1 or more mentors is a major help in furthering professional goals at all career stages, particularly early on in the cardiovascular sciences. To be successful in research and as a mentee, you must establish clear goals and expectations for yourself, determine what actually interests you, be open to learning, correction, and even failures, and carefully choose both research projects and mentors. Although you will establish, with the help of mentors, supervisors, role models, colleagues, and family, a career over time, you will have changing needs for mentoring. To be successful, a mentoring relationship requires commitment from both parties, as well as the recognition of the needs of both and understanding that these needs change with time. The aim of this article is to provide some guidance to early career individuals who are considering pursuing research in the cardiovascular sciences. This topic covers a very wide area, because a number of distinct research pathways exist: clinical research, focused either on formal trials or on observational studies, basic science (bench top, in vivo, or combined), population science, and translational sciences (and each pathway will be discussed in a subsequent article in this series). Opportunities in each area are almost limitless, and the ways of approaching each opportunity are equally varied. For example, in cardiovascular basic research one can find successful PhDs, MDs, RNs, and others. Each area has both unique requirements and opportunities. It is beyond the scope of an article on choosing a research project and research mentor to define the unique aspects of each; this must be a function of the capabilities and goals of each individual, married with the opportunities and constraints of the environment. Individual needs are dealt with in detail in the recently revised AHA Mentoring Handbook.1 Keep in mind that any broad advice focused on research must be tempered with the specific characteristics of the individuals and of the setting. Ultimately, how successful you are in choosing a research project and research mentor will depend on a number of factors, some under your control and some not. Most published advice and guidance on this topic is directed at those early in their careers: students in the cardiovascular sciences, trainees, and junior faculty. Careful consideration of both how to choose a research project and of mentoring is, however, important at all career levels. It should go without saying that no one is too old to make mistakes or to learn. It is important to note at the outset that although research is hypothesis based and rigorously data driven, both choosing a research project and choosing a research mentor are based almost completely on opinion. A number of studies, as will be discussed subsequently, have attempted to define the importance of mentoring and the components that make the effort more or less successful. Most if not all of these studies, however, cannot be classified as high-quality science. At best, they begin from the assumption that mentoring can play a crucial role in career success and satisfaction. This is thought to be particularly true in academic medical research. Although the phrase “any fool can plainly see” has no role in science, it is relevant, and probably true, in regard to the importance of mentoring in choosing a research project and people to work with. Almost all discussions of mentoring start from the point of view that it is clearly important and perhaps crucial to achieving long-term academic goals. Most of the literature on mentoring, in fact, focuses on how to improve mentoring skills and efficacy. Although much has been written, surprisingly few studies have been conducted on how to choose a research project or how to choose a research mentor. A clear overlap exists between choosing a research field, project, or laboratory and choosing a mentor. Each enables the other. Not everyone in cardiovascular medicine must be involved in research or have a mentor. Some individuals are clearly not interested in research, and some have sufficient focus, energy, and cognitive and interpersonal skills to be able to be successful in their careers, whether in academia, industry, or other spheres, without 1 or more mentors. Additionally, with regard to both choosing a project and finding mentors, enlightened self-interest is a key. It is important to have mentors because they help to achieve personal and professional satisfaction. Research, though inherently important and necessary, provides the opportunity for personal growth in 2 major ways: When a project is