There are several benefits to getting published in peer-review journals as a dermatology
physician assistant (PA) and nurse practitioner (NP) that you may not have considered. In this
post I discuss how we can use authorship to become a key person of influence. If you’re looking
for a competitive edge, consider increasing your participation in peer-review publications.
Key Person of Influence
To become a key person of influence, Daniel Priestley recommends completing the following
five steps:
1. Pitch
2. Publish
3. Productize
4. Profile
5. Partnership
Getting published may be the most important step as it helps you craft your pitch, productize
your intellectual property, control your profile, and explain what you have to offer potential
partnerships. Publishing your thoughts helps you to productize your intellectual property quickly
and globally. This in turn helps you to perfect your pitch. The perfect pitch opens the door for
life changing partnerships. Entrepreneurs are not the only ones who need to have a pitch in their
pocket at all times. You are always selling your ideas and your value to get what you want.
Publishing lets you spread your ideas, invite valuable feedback from influential people, and
perfect your pitch even more. Most people are afraid of feedback. Key persons of influence
welcome feedback at every opportunity.
My favorite aspect of publishing as described by Priestley, the author of Key Person of Influence, is that it allows you to control your profile. On any given day, someone is Googling
you. They want to see where you appear in the search and what Google says about you.
Everyone has a LinkedIn page and a bio on their practice website. But, if you want to stand out,
consider writing for a peer-review journal, find someone to post an interview with you, and
create engaging posts so people can hear and see your personality. Publishing allows you to show
proof of your value. It’s not just enough to tell people what you do, they want to see it.
Authorship allows you to have significant ownership and authority over what people will find.
Most people think the next big deal will help solidify their profile and standing in their industry.
But the truth is, that dream deal will not come if you don’t have an established digital profile.
Potential partners and employers want to see that you exist and that other people support your
ideas. All of these can happen when you’re a published author.
Getting Started
PAs have participated the least in peer-reviewed publications and nurses are largely silent despite
comprising the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Together we can change that. The
following organizations have created an authorship blueprint and would love to partner with you
as you endeavor to take publishing to the next level. See Figure 1 which visually displays the
general process of peer review.
- Diversity in Dermatology is in collaboration with The Dermatologist to create a pathway
for PAs and NPs to share their passion for medicine, aesthetics, professional
development, clinical research, and more. You can submit an article, case report, be
considered as an investigator, and share data at Diversity in Dermatology. - The Collaboratory for Interprofessional Authorship in Dermatology (CIAD) is a platform
that mentors and helps early-career medical professionals (medical students applying to
dermatology residency, dermatology NPs, and PAs) interested in writing about medical or
surgical dermatology in scientific peer-reviewed publications. - The Journal of the Dermatology Nurses’ Association (JDNA) has an extensive number of
resources to support authorship, including templates (for case studies, teledermatology,
dermatology organization, pharmacology, etc.) for various types of publications and
guidelines for bias-free language; language and editing services; and how to conduct a peer review. - Wolters Kluwer’s Author Resources is a free-to-use online platform for all authors. They
provide resources to help you prepare, write, submit, publish, promote, and choose the
appropriate journal.
Figure 1. General process of peer review.
But First You Must Read
Publishing in a peer-review journal, starts with reading a lot of content which exposes you to thought leaders, trends in research, advances in technology, emerging themes in the literature, and gaps in knowledge particularly when it comes to vulnerable populations and access to care. This exposure positions you to become a subject matter expert (SME) which further enhances your credibility and profession. Your publications can attract influential leaders in your industry and on social media platforms. You can increase the number of invitations you receive for speaking engagements and sponsorships, public relations, and media coverage. You can lend your voice in and outside of medicine with industries, like tech, that have parallel interests with dermatology.
Your consistency in publishing can help you solidify a loyal group of supporters for your future practice and business endeavors. Whether you publish in a peer-review journal or book, you can become the go-to person, be seen as a thought leader, and be primed and positioned for business opportunities previously out of reach or not realized. You can draw more consumer and industry clients to your practice or business directly and through referrals.
Make Friends and Shape Policy
Authorship helps you to foster positive relationships with other medical professionals. In just the
last few months that I’ve joined the Publication Committee with Diversity and Dermatology, I’ve
had more opportunities to collaborate with PAs and learn about your history than ever before. I
already knew that nurses are a powerful body, especially when the 4-millions of us come
together. However, there are only 355,000+ NPs, and fewer dermatology NPs (5,000). As with
any advocacy, when only those impacted by injustice or disparity speak up, it creates a bias
perspective. Combining our collective efforts to achieve the same outcome reduces that bias and
can help us shape legislation.
Publishing your work in a peer-reviewed journal allows others in dermatology to get to know
you. It can create opportunities for collaboration with interdisciplinary practitioners, which could
be further leveraged to increase allyship. Moreover, it positions you for consideration when
highly coveted positions become available that are not publicly advertised.
“It’s not what or who you know; it’s what you’re willing to do,
and who you become as a result.”
Hone Your Writing Skills
The most obvious benefit of publishing in peer-review journals is it helps you hone your
communication skills. Perhaps, you don’t feel you’re being as creative as you would like in your
practice. Well, writing can spark creativity that leads to innovation in and outside of medicine or
the clinical setting; to new research; to implementing evidence-based practice changes, and to
quality improvement efforts. All of these can in turn be used to publish new content, influence
your target audience, or establish your initiative as a leader which can be leveraged to advance
your career.
When considering where and what to publish, I recommend publications in and outside of
dermatology. This will help you gain a better understanding on how to write in different settings
and also to have more appreciation for the process of getting published. It will increase your
knowledge of dermatology and special interests. Note, you can advance your current career, as
well as pivot into something completely new. Whether you’re looking to pivot into something or
somewhere completely different, or transition right where you are, ask your current employer for
time to dedicate to publishing, and be sure to mention the talking points in this article.
When considering where to publish your work, it’s definitely more fun if you pick something
that interest you. Here are a few ideas:
- Peer-review journals (in and outside of dermatology)
- Legislation and lobbying efforts
- National and local dermatology/business/public health organizations
- Textbooks or chapters
- Newsletters
- White papers
- Books
The ideas in this article may seem obvious. But remember, our colleagues are very busy
managing competing priorities at work and at home. While they may be aware of these
advantages of peer-review publications, they may not be able to take advantage of them. If
you’re interested in finding a way to stand out, this could be it. Follow Diversity in Dermatology
on Instagram and share your ideas for additional places to publish or contact me so we can
collaborate.
Kimberly Madison, DNP, AGPCNP-BC
Kimberly Madison is a new dermatology nurse practitioner with a passion for writing, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and mentorship. As the Blog Chair for Diversity in Dermatology’s Publication Committee, she is here to provide personal and professional development content designed to support and motivate nurse practitioners and physician assistants specializing in dermatology to recognize their value in and outside of the clinical setting.
Contact Kimberly and the DID Publication Committee at diversityindermatology@gmail.com