Health Professions and Academia-How

to Begin Your Career (Jun 29,

2022)_(3030942228)_(Springer).pdf
John Paul (J.P) Sánchez
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmass.com/product/health-professions-and-academia-how-to-begin-your-
career-jun-29-2022_3030942228_springer-pdf-john-paul-j-p-sanchez/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Trapped: Brides of the Kindred Book 29 Faith Anderson

https://ebookmass.com/product/trapped-brides-of-the-kindred-
book-29-faith-anderson/

Netter Atlas of Human Anatomy-Classic Regional

Approach, 8e (Mar 29, 2022)_(0323793738)_(Elsevier) NOT
TRUE PDF Frank H. Netter

https://ebookmass.com/product/netter-atlas-of-human-anatomy-
classic-regional-approach-8e-mar-29-2022_0323793738_elsevier-not-
true-pdf-frank-h-netter/

Gifts, Glamping, & Glocks (A Camper & Criminals Cozy

Mystery Series Book 29) Tonya Kappes

https://ebookmass.com/product/gifts-glamping-glocks-a-camper-
criminals-cozy-mystery-series-book-29-tonya-kappes/

Chronic Total Occlusions-A Guide to Recanalization, 3e

(Nov 29, 2023)_(1119517273)_(Wiley-Blackwell) Ron
Waksman

https://ebookmass.com/product/chronic-total-occlusions-a-guide-
to-recanalization-3e-nov-29-2023_1119517273_wiley-blackwell-ron-
waksman/
Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons (Feb 29,
2024)_(110883146X)_(Cambridge University Press) 1st
Edition Farhana Akter

https://ebookmass.com/product/neuroscience-for-neurosurgeons-
feb-29-2024_110883146x_cambridge-university-press-1st-edition-
farhana-akter/

Cardiology-An Integrated Approach (Human Organ Systems)

(Dec 29, 2017)_(007179154X)_(McGraw-Hill) 1st Edition
Elmoselhi

https://ebookmass.com/product/cardiology-an-integrated-approach-
human-organ-systems-dec-29-2017_007179154x_mcgraw-hill-1st-
edition-elmoselhi/

The High Stakes Rescue: A K9 Handler Romance (Disaster

City Search and Rescue, Book 29) 1st Edition Jenna
Brandt

https://ebookmass.com/product/the-high-stakes-rescue-
a-k9-handler-romance-disaster-city-search-and-rescue-book-29-1st-
edition-jenna-brandt/

Critical Care EEG Basics-Rapid Bedside EEG Reading for

Acute Care Providers (Feb 29,
2024)_(1009261169)_(Cambridge University Press) Jadeja

https://ebookmass.com/product/critical-care-eeg-basics-rapid-
bedside-eeg-reading-for-acute-care-providers-
feb-29-2024_1009261169_cambridge-university-press-jadeja/

Mean Curvature Flow: Proceedings of the John H. Barrett

Memorial Lectures held at the University of Tennessee,
Knoxville, May 29–June 1, 2018 Theodora Bourni (Editor)

https://ebookmass.com/product/mean-curvature-flow-proceedings-of-
the-john-h-barrett-memorial-lectures-held-at-the-university-of-
tennessee-knoxville-may-29-june-1-2018-theodora-bourni-editor/
Health Professions
and Academia

How to Begin Your Career

John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez
Nicholas N. Brutus
Editors

123
Health Professions and Academia
John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez
Nicholas N. Brutus
Editors

Health Professions
and Academia
How to Begin Your Career
Editors
John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez MD, MPH Nicholas N. Brutus BA, MD Candidate
Executive Associate Vice Chancellor Albany Medical College
Health Sciences Center Class of 2024
Office for Diversity, Equity, Albany, NY, USA
and Inclusion (DEI), UNM
Interim Executive Diversity Officer
Professor with Tenure & Vice Chair DEI
Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
University of New Mexico (UNM)
Albuquerque, NM, USA
President, Building the Next Generation of
Academic Physicians Inc. (BNGAP)
NYC, NY, USA

ISBN 978-3-030-94222-9    ISBN 978-3-030-94223-6 (eBook)

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94223-6

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2022
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether
the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and trans-
mission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publica-
tion does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the
relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book
are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any
errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG
The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Foreword

My life work and passion for creating K-20 education pipeline programs and oppor-
tunities for youth from underrepresented backgrounds allow a distinctive perspec-
tive as I write this foreword as does being a first-generation college student, family
practice doctor, and Hispana leader across an academic health center.
Health Professions and Academia: How to Begin Your Career. This is a beautiful
inspirational book comprised of expertise, creativity, and authenticity in providing
resources to prepare you as the next generation of diverse health professionals and
faculty—health providers who will make a difference in the health, healthcare, and
social justice fabric of the nation and communities across the globe that each of you
will impact—person-to-person, community by community.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is an amazingly informative, interactive,
and engaging guide, which alone is reason enough to read and learn from this. What
is even more compelling is that when you finish reading this book, you leave with a
sense of community from the co-authors and BNGAP members who have invested
their time, stories, experiences, knowledge, humility, vulnerability, and skills to
bring you this unique and valuable resource.
As I reflect on how I came to be in medicine, a faculty member, and a senior
Hispana/Latina leader for an academic health center, and I reflect on this book you
are about to read, experience, and treasure, two things come to mind:

1. I truly wish there had been a book like this to have helped guide me, a first-­
generation college student, Native New Mexican Hispana, on my journey to a
health career and ultimately to a career in academia as Professor of Family and
Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.
My path to medicine was certainly not intentional in the sense that I knew
nothing of what is being shared with you in this book. I have a passion and com-
mitment to improve the health and well-being of our communities that arose
from the values of my childhood and my cultural heritage. My life has been a
testament to what my mom and dad instilled in me and my siblings from an early
age. They instilled in us the values of hard work, education, being good to each
other and others, and doing our best at whatever we tried. I know that these are
many of the same values that you share as well. These core values are important
on our journeys into health professions and academia as is the wealth of

v
vi Foreword

information that you will find in these pages—information that will make your
journey smoother and well-planned.
2. A unique and compelling aspect of this book that deeply resonated with me, and
I hope that you will find inspiring, is the stories of the co-authors personal jour-
neys found in each chapter. Storytelling has always been a vital part of many of
our cultures, traditions, and communities. It reveals our values and allows us to
connect in different ways. And this book most certainly brings about a sense of
connection and empowerment as you meet these special people through their
eloquent narratives and learn how to prepare to be a competitive applicant for
health professions and academia.
I believe that part of what we all bring is the power of our stories. We are
changing education by our experiences, by bringing community knowledge to
these institutions. As a doctor, I work to bring the community story to medi-
cine—the wisdom and knowledge that will begin challenging and improving a
system that serves the people of New Mexico. I know that our institutions and
work environments can be strengthened by bringing our community stories, our
voices, perspectives, and experiences. And, your voice, your presence as a
diverse health provider, as a future faculty member preparing the next genera-
tion, is imperative for a just and equitable health system for all.
You, our learners, are a precious resource that we are profoundly committed
to supporting. This book is an expression of our regard and dedication in sup-
porting you in achieving your dreams. We see in you the hope for a better future.
You are a diverse group of future health professionals, faculty, and leaders bring-
ing your experiences, perspectives, cultures, and identities into the health profes-
sions education and into health systems so we can improve and bring cultural
and linguistic competence into these systems.
Con Cariño,

 Valerie Romero-Leggott, MD
Vice President and Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion Executive Officer, Health
Sciences Center, University of New
Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Contents

1 Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������   1
Rosa Lee, MD
2  hat Is Academia All About? Academic Career Roles
W
and Responsibilities ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������   7
John G. Biebighauser Jr, MD Candidate, Douglass L. Jackson,
DMD, MS, PhD, and Raymond Lucas, MD
3 
Leveraging the Value of Diversity in the Academic Workforce ������������ 21
Norma Poll-Hunter, PhD, Pedro Mancias, MD, Douglass L. Jackson,
DMD, MS, PhD, Kimberly Bellamy, MS Ed, and John Paul (J.P.)
Sánchez, MD, MPH
4 
Integrating Community Service into Your Career Success�������������������� 37
Clydell “Tré” Adams III, BS, MD Candidate, A. Jeffrey Wood, DDS,
Damon Alvarez, BA, BSPS, PharmD Candidate,
and John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez, MD, MPH
5 Realizing Your Leadership Potential�������������������������������������������������������� 53
Leonor Corsino, MD, MHS, Jasmine N. Chigbu, MS, MD
Candidate, Michelle Robinson, DMD, Joel Dickerman, DO,
and Damon Alvarez, BA, BSPS, PharmD Candidate
6 
Building Your Social Capital Through Mentorship�������������������������������� 67
Leonor Corsino, MD, MHS, Jasmine N. Chigbu, MS, MD
Candidate, Claymore Kills First, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS,
Vernell P. DeWitty, PhD, MBA, RN, and Donna Grant-Mills, DDS
7 The Scholarly Educator���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 79
Renee Williams, MD, MHPE, Nicholas N. Brutus, BA, MD
Candidate, Susan Staggs Vos, PharmD, FAPhA,
and Anthony Pho, PhD, MPH, RN, ANP-C

vii
viii Contents

8 Advancing Change Through Discovery �������������������������������������������������� 93

Dennis Spencer, MD, PhD, Edmond R. Hewlett, DDS, Lindy Zhang,
MD, Andrea Garcia, MD, MPH, and John Paul (J.P.)
Sánchez, MD, MPH
9 
Telling Your Story: Resume, CV, and Applications�������������������������������� 109
Asia T. McCleary-Gaddy, PhD, Susan Staggs Vos, PharmD, FAPhA,
Patricia Xirau-­Probert, PhD, LMHC, Chidimma Okwara, BS, MD
Candidate, and John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez, MD, MPH
10 
The Profile of a Competitive Applicant���������������������������������������������������� 121
Nicholas N. Brutus, BA, MD Candidate, Patricia Xirau-Probert,
PhD, LMHC, Claymore Kills First, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS, and
John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez, MD, MPH
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 135
Contributors

Clydell “Tré” Adams III, BS, MD Candidate University of Texas Health Science
Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
Damon Alvarez, BA, BSPS, PharmD Candidate University of New Mexico
College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Kimberly Bellamy, MSEd Senior Specialist, Strategic Programs and Partnerships,
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Association of American Medical Colleges
(AAMC), Washington, DC, USA
John G. Biebighauser Jr, MD Candidate University of Texas Health Science
Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
Nicholas N. Brutus, BA, MD Candidate Albany Medical College, Class of 2024,
Albany, NY, USA
Jasmine N. Chigbu, MS, MD Candidate Duke University School of Medicine,
Durham, NC, USA
Leonor Corsino, MD, MHS Associate Professor, Department of Medicine,
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition, Associate Dean of Students
Affairs, Duke School of Medicine, MD Program, Associate Director, Master of
Biomedical Sciences, Duke School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
Vernell P. DeWitty, PhD, MBA, RN Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Officer, American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Washington,
DC, USA
Joel Dickerman, DO Dean and Chief Academic Officer Kansas Health Science
Center, Wichita, KS, USA
Andrea Garcia, MD, MPH (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara), Physician Specialist, Los
Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Donna Grant-Mills, DDS, Med Associate Dean for Student Affairs and
Admissions, Howard University College of Dentistry, Washington, DC, USA
Edmond R. Hewlett, DDS Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at
the UCLA School of Dentistry, Los Angeles, CA, USA

ix
x Contributors

Douglass L. Jackson, DMD, MS, PhD Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and
Inclusion, University of Washington School of Dentistry, Seattle, WA, USA
Claymore Kills First, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS Clinical Faculty, Oregon Health &
Science University, College of Pharmacy, Portland, OR, USA
Rosa Lee, MD Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, CUNY School of
Medicine, New York, NY, USA
Raymond Lucas, MD Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, School of
Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington,
DC, USA
Pedro Mancias, MD Professor, Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School Assistant
Dean, Office of Diversity And Inclusion, McGovern Medical School, Adriana Blood
Professor of Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
Office of Diversity and Inclusion, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
Asia T. McCleary-Gaddy, PhD Professor, Pediatrics, McGovern Medical School
Assistant Dean, Office of Diversity And Inclusion, McGovern Medical School,
Adriana Blood Professor of Pediatrics, Houston, TX, USA
Chidimma Okwara, BS, MD Candidate McGovern Medical School at the
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Anthony Pho, PhD, MPH, RN, ANP-C Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of
Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford,
CA, USA
Norma Poll-Hunter, PhD Senior Director, Workforce Diversity, Equity, Diversity
and Inclusion, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Washington,
DC, USA
Michelle Robinson, DMD Past Interim Dean and current Senior Associate Dean
and Director of Diversity at the School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at
Birmingham, Current Interim Dean of the School of Education, Birmingham,
AL, USA
Valerie Romero-Leggott, MD Vice President and Executive Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion Officer, HSC Endowed Professorship for Equity in Health, Professor of
Family & Community Medicine, Executive Director, UNM School of Medicine
Combined BA/MD Program, Albuquerque, NM, USA
John Paul (J.P.) Sánchez, MD, MPH Executive Associate Vice Chancellor,
Health Sciences Center, Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), UNM,
Interim Executive Diversity Officer, Professor with Tenure & Vice Chair DEI,
Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico (UNM),
Albuquerque, NM, USA
President, Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians Inc. (BNGAP),
NYC, NY, USA
Contributors xi

Dennis Spencer, MD, PhD Attending Physician, Division of Gastroenterology,

Hepatology and Nutrition, Instructor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA, USA
Susan Staggs Vos, PharmD, FAPhA Clinical Professor and Associate Dean for
Student Affairs, The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, Iowa City, IA, USA
Renee Williams, MD, MHPE, FACG Associate Professor of Medicine, Program
Director, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship, NYU School of Medicine/
Bellevue Hospital Center, New York, NY, USA
A. Jeffrey Wood, DDS Professor & Chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry,
Samuel D. Harris Professor of Pediatrics, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni
School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA, USA
Patricia Xirau-Probert, PhD, LMHC Associate Dean of Student Advocacy and
Inclusion, Clinical Professor, Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science,
College of Dentistry, The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Lindy Zhang, MD Clinical and Research Fellow, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology,
Johns Hopkins Hospital/NIH, National Cancer Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
Introduction
1
Rosa Lee

Health Professions and Academia: How to Begin Your Career was written by health
professions’ students, trainees, and faculty members of BNGAP – Building the Next
Generation of Academic Physicians. BNGAP is an organization whose mission is to
help diverse learners become aware of academia as a career option and to provide
them with resources to further explore and potentially embark on an academic career.
BNGAP’s first book, Succeeding in Academic Medicine: A Roadmap for Diverse
Medical Students and Residents (2020), provided core information and inspiring sto-
ries for graduate trainees, particularly from groups underrepresented in medicine
(UIM) to consider careers in academic medicine. This second book is aimed at college
and post-baccalaureate learners who are considering careers in academic health pro-
fessions. This book is a testament to BNGAP’s recognition that (1) the key to recruit-
ing diverse faculty in academic health professions is to inform and inspire students
early, and (2) while BNGAP’s work was initially focused on trainees in the field of
medicine, its curriculum and resources for pre-faculty development can be effectively
applied to promote the development of diverse faculty across academic healthcare
disciplines such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry. We not only want
readers to be on Pre-Nursing, Pre-Med, Pre-Pharm, or Pre-Dental career tracks, but
we also want diverse learners to become Pre-Faculty or PREFAC. Pre-­Faculty devel-
opment is defined as providing trainees with foundational self-efficacy, knowledge,
skills, and experiences to be successfully appointed, and eventually promoted and
tenured within an academic institution. (Sánchez J.P. and Williams V., 2019).
Being PREFAC is inclusive of all healthcare disciplines and can apply to stu-
dents who wish to pursue a career in academia, like Pre-Nursing applies to students
pursuing a nursing career. Like its predecessor, this book serves as a guide to inspire
students from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in academic healthcare.
However, this book focuses on college and post-bac learners. First, the book

R. Lee, MD (*)
Associate Dean for Curriculum and Assessment, CUNY School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
e-mail: rlee@med.cuny.edu

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 1

J. P. (J.P.) Sánchez, N. N. Brutus (eds.), Health Professions and Academia,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94223-6_1
2 R. Lee

presents an overview to possible career pathways in academic health professions so

that early (college, pre-graduate) learners can recognize opportunities for them-
selves in these fields. Second, the book addresses the core domains (community
service, leadership, educational scholarship, and research) from which students can
develop themselves as competitive applicants to graduate school, but also as a foun-
dation from which they can establish successful careers in academic healthcare.

Author’s Perspective

As I reflect on the content of this book, I wish that an organization such as BNGAP
had been available to me when I was a college student and an early trainee in medi-
cine. As I look at my own career, I realize that my own path to academic medicine
came through what I can only describe as moments of serendipity and blind leaps of
faith in which I followed opportunities that let me develop my interest in teaching
and medical education. I was drawn to academic medicine based on my personal
encounters with physicians and faculty members whom I deeply admired. Yet I had
never had the courage early in my training and career to formally ask for mentorship
or help in identifying clear steps to advance my career in academic medicine. While
I could identify role models in medical school and residency whom I admired for
their outstanding clinical acumen, empathy, and passion for teaching, I still felt lost
in those years of training. It was only later in my career as an attending physician,
when I heard a speaker describe the concept coined by Bill George at Harvard
Business School as “finding one’s true north,” that I recognized the impact and
importance of identifying my personal mission and developing a career trajectory
that was intentional and guided by that mission. I realized that my personal mission
was to make medical education equitable – to empower students from all back-
grounds to succeed in becoming physicians.
Additionally, as an Asian-identified person in academic medicine, I have looked
to my identity as a rich source of pride and support. Finding connections with other
Asian-American colleagues has been inspiring, and while I may not have encoun-
tered many Asian-identified faculty in positions of leadership at my academic insti-
tutions when I was a college or medical student, I take great pride in seeing myself
and my peers taking on leadership positions in academic medicine now. At the same
time, I am appreciative of how heterogeneous our Asian-American community is
and how important it is to acknowledge the varied life experiences of Asian-­
American trainees and faculty. While Asian-Americans are often referred to as a
“not-underrepresented” minority group in medicine?, this term belies the diversity
of the Asian-American community and the very real disparities and opportunity
gaps in education that exist among different origin groups in the Asian-American
population. This is something that can only be addressed and ultimately mitigated
through a deeper and more nuanced understanding of diversity.
In my current role as a curriculum dean at CUNY School of Medicine, a seven-­
year BS/MD program, I encounter students who have committed to a career in med-
icine early on. While they have already entered into a medical program as college
1 Introduction 3

students, they too ask questions and seek guidance on ways to thrive academically
and develop themselves professionally for a rewarding career in medicine that
allows them opportunities and choices while staying authentic to their personal val-
ues. During a recent conversation with first-year college students in my program, I
was asked to give advice to those who might be unsure of how or where to start to
develop research interests or professional development opportunities. Their ques-
tions reminded me of the value that this book holds for students who wish to pursue
the health professions, and my response to my students’ questions was informed
very much by the premise of this book - it is to start with yourself. It is your identity,
values, and experiences that you bring as diverse learners to the health professions
and ultimately to the care of patients that matters tremendously. To recognize and
align these values and experiences to the health professions is to identify your voca-
tion, and this alignment can set you on a career path that will inspire you throughout
your professional life.

Book Outline

The fields of academic healthcare and its entry points through graduate health pro-
fessions schools are admittedly competitive. With the many hurdles that stand
before applicants to enter health professions schools, including standardized tests
and large applicant pools for limited slots in schools, it is understandable to feel
overwhelmed at times, and perhaps even doubt in one’s ability to enter and succeed
in these fields. For everyone who may have ever felt this way, I wish to say that this
book was written for you. This book has been written in recognition of the chal-
lenges of applying to and matriculating into health professions schools, particularly
as they may be accentuated for applicants from under-represented backgrounds in
health professions, including those underrepresented in medicine (UiM) groups,
members of the LGBTQ+ community, and first-generation college students. It
serves to encourage and guide students particularly from diverse backgrounds in
preparing for and applying to health professions graduate schools and considering
future career opportunities such as academic positions.
This book is meant to be interactive and to engage with you directly as a reader.
Each of the nine chapters in the book begin with reflections from students and health
professionals on their personal journeys to careers in academic healthcare. All but
one of the chapters’ co-authors identify with groups underrepresented in the aca-
demic health professions – women, sexual and gender minoritized individuals, and
racial and ethnic minoritized individuals. Their diverse voices and honest accounts
of the challenges and rewards of their career paths may resonate with your own life
experiences. Their stories are here to inspire you as well as to help you see a little
bit of yourself on these paths. Each chapter also contains exercises and activities
which will also help you apply the principles from the chapter to your own career
path. Case examples offer additional exercises to help the reader recognize opportu-
nities and challenges. I encourage you to use these stories and activities as a spring-
board to further your own reflections and clarify your own goals and plans.
4 R. Lee

Chapter 2: What Is Academia All About? Academic Career Roles

and Responsibilities

If considering a career in academic healthcare, it is important to recognize common

career roles and opportunities. This chapter describes the structure and leadership
roles within academic healthcare fields as well as common career tracks for faculty
in academic healthcare. The core pillars upon which academic careers are devel-
oped – scholarly teaching, research, and service – are introduced. The chapter con-
cludes with exercises to help you envision the steps along your own academic career
journey.

Chapter 3: Leveraging the Value of Diversity

in the Academic Workforce

After defining diversity and intersectionality as important concepts that shape

healthcare delivery, this chapter highlights the ways that diversity not only adds
value, but drives excellence in academia and healthcare. This chapter presents data
on the current state of diversity in academic healthcare workforces, and reinforces
the urgent need to diversify the healthcare workforce to meet the needs of our
diverse society. This chapter concludes with concrete suggestions on how applicants
from diverse backgrounds can leverage their experiences, values, and personal mis-
sion to enter the academic workforce.

Chapter 4: Integrating Community Service into Your

Career Success

This chapter provides instruction on how applicants can harness their passion and
engagement in community service into scholarly activities that can facilitate their
professional development as applicants to health professionals schools. Community
service, community engagement, and service learning are defined. Exercises are
included to help readers align their personal values and mission to community ser-
vice projects. Advice is provided on how to gain institutional support for community-­
focused projects. The chapter concludes by presenting the Kern model for curriculum
development as a framework by which you can turn education-related community-­
focused projects into scholarly activities.

Chapter 5: Realizing Your Leadership Potential

This chapter recognizes leadership as an essential quality for those in academic

health careers and as a quality that can be cultivated and developed within every
individual. The chapter introduces readers to several examples of leadership theo-
ries as well as core traits, values, and work ethics that mark leadership roles across
1 Introduction 5

generations. This chapter contains several exercises that will help you clarify the
core traits of leadership as well as the skills that you may already possess and wish
to develop to become an effective leader. Case studies are included to highlight
opportunities for you to develop leadership skills through typical activities in your
undergraduate experience.

Chapter 6: Building Your Social Capital Through Mentorship

This chapter explores the power and impact of mentoring in helping individuals
pursue their careers in academic healthcare. The roles and responsibilities for both
mentors and mentees are described. This chapter then outlines the keys to establish-
ing and maintaining a successful mentor–mentee relationship.

Chapter 7: The Scholarly Educator

This chapter outlines the steps that students can currently undertake to strengthen
their foundation as an educator and in completing educational scholarship. The typi-
cal activities of an educator in health professions as defined by the Association of
American Medical Colleges (AAMC) are presented to help readers understand the
scope of opportunities as an educator in academic healthcare. The chapter then
defines educational scholarship and instructs readers on how they may turn their
current activities as educators into scholarship activities that can further advance
their applications to graduate school as well as their careers in academic healthcare.

Chapter 8: Advancing Change Through Discovery

With research previously described as a core tenet for careers in academia, this
chapter delves into providing an overview into the types of research that one can
engage in within academic healthcare: basic science, clinical, health services,
community-­based participatory research, and educational research. Educational
research and scholarship is further addressed in Chap. 6. The different research
methods, including quantitative and qualitative research, are highlighted. Finally,
the chapter guides the reader through steps needed to succeed as well as describing
the skills that one will develop while performing research.

Chapter 9: Telling Your Story: Resume, CV, and Applications

In this chapter, “Telling Your Story” refers to the professional attributes and experi-
ences that individuals present to make themselves attractive candidates to institu-
tions. This is formally presented in academia through CVs, resumes, and graduate
school applications. This chapter distinguishes features among these three
6 R. Lee

documents and identifies concrete strategies to help students create their strongest
CVs and applications. This chapter also describes ways that you can utilize net-
working strategies alongside submission of your applications to achieve visibility
and success. Additionally, this chapter identifies ways that you can document your
current activities to position yourself for future career advancement.

Chapter 10: The Profile of a Competitive Applicant

This final chapter highlights core elements that can make an applicant attractive to
health professions graduate schools and can also launch a junior trainee’s academic
health career. Extra-curricular and professional development activities help appli-
cants demonstrate commitment and can offer pivotal leadership opportunities
simultaneously. Understanding the process and timelines for applying to graduate
schools is critical to success as well, and this chapter reviews key components of the
application process. This chapter also presents the AAMC’s “Experiences-­
Attributes-­Metrics” model for holistic review of individual candidates to medical
school. Drawing from this model, readers will identify ways that they can establish
themselves as unique and competitive candidates for health professions graduate
schools. The chapter also presents examples of resources that students may find
both within and outside of their institutions to help them with personal and profes-
sional development. A final word on career trajectories reminds us that while the
strategies presented in this book can help each applicant develop a strong founda-
tion for professional success, the pathway does not have to be same for each appli-
cant, and divergences – both intended and unintended – can ultimately still help
applicants reach their goals.
In summary, as you read through each of the chapters in this book, you will find
a recurrent theme, which is about recognizing your own values and then considering
how they may align with careers in academic healthcare. At its core, this book is a
guide to help you turn your interests, values, and talents into a personal mission that
can guide your career as a leader in academic healthcare. It has been written to help
you find your own “true north.” Enjoy the journey and know that we want you to
become a faculty member or senior administrator!
What Is Academia All About? Academic
Career Roles and Responsibilities 2
John G. Biebighauser Jr, Douglass L. Jackson,
and Raymond Lucas

Emma is a 19-year-old student who just finished her first year of college. She per-
formed well in her introductory biology and chemistry courses and is eager to
achieve her goal of attending medical school. Long-term, Emma is particularly
interested in returning to her hometown and working as a family physician for vul-
nerable populations in her community. During her first year, Emma developed a
strong mentoring relationship with her biology professor and advisor, Dr. Alicia
Brown. Dr. Brown’s primary faculty role is as a researcher, but she also contributes
to teaching, mentoring pre-health professions students, and leading monthly public
health-based volunteer trips into the community. She is known for making the seem-
ingly mundane lectures incredibly fun and interesting. Emma has been certain in her
desire to become a physician since she was in high school. After watching Dr.
Brown’s profound impact on the university community and in the lives of her stu-
dents, Emma wonders if she would enjoy having a similar career. Emma shared
these feelings with Dr. Brown, who suggested that Emma consider pursuing an
academic career. Emma has many questions, most importantly…
...what is it like being an Academic Health Professional?
Emma is not alone in asking this question. Ask yourself, as a college student,
how much do (or did) you know about academia as a career path? Academia can be
incredibly confusing, particularly for students without prior exposure to the field.

J. G. Biebighauser Jr, MD Candidate

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School,
Houston, TX, USA
D. L. Jackson, DMD, MS, PhD
Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, University of Washington School of
Dentistry, Seattle, WA, USA
R. Lucas, MD (*)
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences,
George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022 7

J. P. (J.P.) Sánchez, N. N. Brutus (eds.), Health Professions and Academia,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94223-6_2
8 J. G. Biebighauser Jr et al.

Chapter 1 identified the dire need for increased diversity in the academic workforce.
The first step toward accomplishing this goal is to ensure students have a clear
understanding of academia’s structure. Even many students in health professions
schools (e.g., nursing, dental, medical), despite an interest in academia, lack clarity
on the possible career options and an understanding of what is required and expected
to have a successful career as a faculty member [1]. This chapter focuses on explain-
ing the structure of academics, including common administrative roles and career
tracks. Next, this chapter will discuss the three most fundamental pillars on which
academic careers are grounded – teaching, research, and scholarly service – as a
foundation for subsequent chapters on academic promotion and scholarship. Finally,
we will present an opportunity to reflect on your personal and professional goals
and values to help guide you on your path to academics.

Academic Structure and Administrative Roles

Although the structure of a large academic healthcare institution can seem over-
whelming at first, many of the faculty and administrative roles are equivalent to
those at your own undergraduate institution. This section will discuss the different
positions in healthcare academics, while referencing analogous roles in a typical
undergraduate institution. Refer to Fig. 2.1 as a tool to guide your reading.

Dean

Academic
Unit or Center Offices
Department

Associate/Assistant
Chair Directors
Deans or Directors

Faculty Faculty Faculty

Members/Staff Members/Staff Members/Staff

Learners

Fig. 2.1 Common leadership structure of health professions schools

2 What Is Academia All About? Academic Career Roles and Responsibilities 9

Faculty

When considering the structure of academia, it’s easiest to start with the student.
Emma, the student from the earlier story, is enrolled in an undergraduate university.
During her first year, she took a biology course taught by a member of the faculty.
Faculty members, by definition, are people who work in academic institutions and
engage in educational, research, and scholarly service. In health professions schools,
faculty often have the added responsibility of clinical care. Traditionally, faculty mem-
bers whose career is a blend of teaching and research responsibilities as well as clinical
care are frequently called a “triple threat.” [2] Certain challenges, such as elevated
teaching responsibilities, the increasingly competitive nature of securing research
funding, and the added complexities and demands of clinical care make balancing all
three areas rewarding, but difficult [3–5]. To accommodate this, faculty roles have
become more specialized. Rather than expecting all faculty to participate equally in
these areas, most health professions schools (e.g., dental, nursing, medical) now hire
faculty into various career “tracks,” which will be discussed later in this chapter.

Department Chairs

Some of the faculty members who teach your courses also take on administrative
roles and responsibilities. In your undergraduate major’s department, whether that
is Chemistry, Psychology, etc., you may have noticed certain faculty with the title of
“Department Chair.” Likewise, professional school departments, such as the
Department of Pediatrics or the Department of Dental Surgery, also have chairs who
guide the unit’s teaching, research, and scholarly service operations. Additionally,
department chairs serve important roles as mentors and have responsibility for the
recruitment and career development of their departmental faculty. Chairs are often
expected to have been successful in research and teaching, but their role is increas-
ingly administrative [9]. Chairs act as liaisons between the central administration of
the school (i.e., Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans) and their faculty. They help
align their department with the school’s mission, vision, and values. Chairs are
often paid higher salaries and have the opportunity and autonomy to shape their
units into being successful. Team building and interpersonal communication skills
are a necessity for this position. With increased responsibility, however, comes
increased oversight, and chairs are often evaluated based on departmental outcomes
and metrics such as spending, patient satisfaction, teaching contributions, and
research production of their faculty.

Deans

Your major department resides within an academic college, for example the College
of Science and Engineering or the College of Liberal Arts. A dean oversees this col-
lege and manages its internal and external affairs. In a professional school, the dean
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
concluded that Dr. McLendon knew Graber’s whereabouts and
showed him a big roll of money that morning, claiming it was four
thousand dollars, saying, “Dr. McLendon, here is a reward offered for
Thorn and Graber. You know where Graber is; here is your money.”
Dr. McLendon was a practicing surgeon for these troops, as they had
no regular army surgeon. I told Dr. McLendon I had come after my
wife and baby and intended to take them out or die in the attempt,
even if the whole Federal army of Texas was there to guard them.
He furthermore stated that Captain Bradford had issued an order to
the sheriff of the county to arrest Thorn and Graber by the next
Monday morning, or be removed from office as an impediment to
reconstruction.
I now had Dr. McLendon to give me directions to reach the place
where my wife was visiting, which he did, however saying that it
would be impossible for me to find the way there, on account of the
darkness of the night. Nevertheless I started out and soon got lost,
and when I finally gave up the effort, I found myself only three-
quarters of a mile from town. I was tired, suffering with a great
headache and called at a house, where I was permitted to stay for
the night and, after breakfast next morning, getting fresh directions to
Dr. Baldwin’s house, where my wife’s sister was stopping, I
immediately proceeded there.
After discussing the situation with my friends, as well as my wife,
we decided best to have them get up a hack and a confidential
driver, by the next morning, which they succeeded in doing and we
started on the main road, leading into the San Antonio road,
following that every day, stopping at houses at night and finally
reached Rusk, Cherokee County, without an accident or any trouble.
Judge Wilson was again surprised at my success in bringing my
family out, as he never had expected to see me again. I then told
him, “Now, for a good stopping place,” and after considering all
families in the town, where we might get board and none having any
extra room, said, “The only place I know of, that has room is at my
old daddy-in-law’s, Judge M. D. Priest, who is the meanest old
Radical in the State of Texas, but he has a most excellent family,
who will do all they can for your wife and child and make you feel at
home. We will make a confidant of him and he will never betray you.”
I said, “Judge, you know what you are doing; anything you say will
be satisfactory to me.” We then proceeded to Judge Priest’s house,
where I was introduced in the name of Jones and was kindly
received and made to feel at home. Really we could not have found
a more desirable place. We had excellent rooms and good board,
just on the outskirts of the town. Rusk, at that time, was a very small
place, about three or four hundred inhabitants, but it was the county
seat of Cherokee County. We sent back our driver with his hack and
team and he never betrayed us.

Civil Record
 CHAPTER XXVII

I Get Back Into the Business World.

During the first month of our stay there, I visited the business part
of town occasionally and made a few purchases at the house of
Boyd, Frazer & Parks, a firm composed of John A. Boyd, who
thought he was a merchant; Dr. Frazer, a practicing physician, who
tried to be the bookkeeper, and M. M. Parks, who was a farmer,
living out in the country, who furnished the money for the business.
Boyd knew nothing about keeping or showing off his stock. In
appearance it was one of the most conglomerated mixtures of
merchandise I ever saw, but they were very popular men, particularly
with the farmers in the country, and did a large business, considering
their limited territory.
I soon got tired of lying around, doing nothing, but I felt that Rusk
was about the safest place I could find anywhere, as the entire
community, in sentiment, were true to the Lost Cause, with only one
doubtful character, which was Judge M. D. Priest and he was really
not a bad man at heart. When we confided my secret to him, telling
him my life was in his hands, he appreciated fully the confidence
reposed and declared that he never would betray us, which promise
he fully kept and of which he afterwards expressed himself as being
very proud.
Happening in to Boyd, Frazer & Parks one day, disgusted with
the appearance of his stock of goods as kept, although it was none
of my business, I concluded this would be a good place to get
acquainted, on my knowledge of the business. I proposed to Mr.
Boyd, who was the active member, running the business, that with
his permission I would rearrange and straighten out his stock,
without charge, as I had to remain over for a few weeks, had nothing
to do and thought I could improve the appearance of things
considerably. He readily consented, so I pulled off my coat and went
to work, which proved a great treat to me. In a few days I had made
such a change in the appearance of the stock, that customers
seemed surprised and asked, “John A., have you been getting in a
new stock of goods?” About the third evening, the partners got
together, had a consultation and I was asked if I was able to keep
books. I told them that I had kept books for a very large business in
Southern Texas before the war, when they made me a proposition to
go to work for them, keep their books and attend the sales
department on a salary of $75.00 per month, which I accepted and
soon felt here was the place to keep hid out from the powers that
were, as there was no military nearer than Tyler, Jefferson and
Shreveport and no one knew of my secret, except Judge Wilson and
Judge Priest, whose families were not made acquainted with it.
After considerable time, spent pleasantly at the home of Judge
Priest, we decided to move into town for better convenience on
account of its being nearer my business. We rented an humble home
and went to housekeeping. I soon had an extensive acquaintance
through the county, but always in the name of Jones, yet gradually
imparting my secret to the most reliable friends I made in the town,
notably the Bonner brothers, Judge R. H. Guinn, Judge James E.
Dillard and others. After nearly a year in the service of Boyd, Frazer
& Parks, I met an old gentleman by the name of T. L. Philleo, who
had done an extensive business in general merchandise before the
war. Mr. Philleo had a fine storehouse on the north side of the
square, empty, except as to some castings, and had owing him
perhaps as much as fifty thousand dollars in notes and accounts,
acquired before the war. He was unable to collect much of it and
conceived the idea that to make a success of this collecting, he
ought to go into business again, which he was unable to do, on
account of his age. I having established a reputation of being the
best merchant in the town, Philleo made a proposition to me to go
into copartnership with him. While he had no money he had a most
excellent credit in New Orleans and suggested that I could go down
there and buy for his account such stock as I needed to enable us to
enter into competition with the balance of the town. Canvassing the
subject thoroughly, I decided that I could make more money with my
half interest in the profits of the concern, than to work on salary. He
was willing and anxious to give me the full management and control
of the business. Considering my condition then, I decided best to
accept, which I did, and soon proceeded to New Orleans, armed with
a letter in the name of R. F. Jones, to Speak & Buckner, his old
commission merchants, and other leading houses in the different
lines of merchandise that we had to buy.
Arriving at New Orleans, I put up at the Southern Hotel, then the
headquarters of nearly all Texas merchants, within one block of the
custom house, where General Sheridan had his headquarters, and
went to work, buying a general stock of merchandise for account of
T. L. Philleo & Company; “R. F. Jones being the company,” so Capt.
Buckner stated in introducing me. Speak & Buckner also accepted
several thousand dollars on cash purchases, such as groceries and
staple hardware, nails, etc., for which he asked us to send him
cotton in the fall. I now returned home with my purchases and began
to feel that I had a new life before me and some prospect of making
a good living.
I arranged my stock very attractively, for which the house was
well suited, though I had some trouble inducing farmers to come
over on my side of the square. It was the only business house over
there, the center of business being located on the east and south
side. By close application and hard work I gradually succeeded in
building up a fair business.
After some months, I found the unpleasant condition of Mr.
Philleo’s state of mind, worrying over his old matters and trying to
collect, which seemed a complete failure, seemed to bear heavily on
his mind and I noticed it was giving way under the pressure. He had
a most excellent family, wife and two daughters, who had been
raised in wealth and affluence and were somewhat extravagantly
inclined, and the thought of perhaps losing all of his outstanding
accounts and old age creeping on him very fast, made him very
despondent and unhappy. He would go to the store every night after
supper, open his safe, take out all of his notes and accounts, scatter
them around on his table and a double bed, used by a young man
clerk in the store, who reported his actions to me, and would study
and look at them, occupying hours, sometimes until one o’clock at
night, then replace them in the safe. Many of the makers of the notes
and accounts had been killed or died during the war and their
estates were not able to pay anything. I was satisfied if this condition
continued his mind would finally break down and it kept me in a state
of uneasiness. I, therefore concluded that I would wind up this first
year’s business and quit, which I finally did, after settling up all bills
and the entire business, satisfactorily to all concerned. The year’s
business showed us each a net profit of about eighteen hundred
dollars; outside of this I had demonstrated the fact that I was able to
do a nice, clean business, safely.
Just as I feared, poor Mr. Philleo, some two or three years after,
committed suicide in the back room of his store, at night, with his
notes and papers laying all around him, stabbing himself with his
pocketknife through the heart.
Mr. Philleo was one of the most kind-hearted, benevolent and
charitable of men, and was known as such all over the country and
he left many friends, but his family was poorly provided for.
After winding up the business of T. L. Philleo & Company, I was
offered a position with R. B. Martin, an old merchant of the place,
who at one time had done a large business. His stock had been run
down for the want of means to keep it up, the result of poor
management. Martin had a wealthy brother at Shreveport, of the firm
of Gregg & Martin, cotton commission merchants. They had agreed
to back him for ten thousand dollars, so he represented to me, with
which he expected to buy a fifteen thousand dollar new stock in New
Orleans. Martin agreed to pay me a hundred dollars a month to
begin with and increase my salary as business justified it. I then
proceeded to New Orleans, to buy this stock of goods, stopping over
at Shreveport to obtain letters from Gregg & Martin, authorizing me
to draw on them for ten thousand dollars.
Mr. Dave Martin denied having promised his brother this
acceptance, but told me to go on to New Orleans, that Bob’s credit
was good and he could buy all the goods he wanted, without their
acceptance. I then proceeded to New Orleans. Calling on his old
houses, I found he was owing a great deal of money and having
promised through traveling men, who had called on him, that he
would furnish Gregg & Martin’s acceptance for ten thousand dollars
and then not being able to do so, his credit was so greatly impaired
that they refused to sell him any more goods. I then wired Dave
Martin again for authority to draw, reporting that Bob was unable to
buy goods without his backing. I laid over, awaiting an answer,
several days, and in the meantime, called on Speak & Buckner, who
were glad to see me. I told them of the failure of my trip, unless I
heard favorably from Gregg & Martin.
In the course of conversation, Captain Buckner said, “Jones,
you’ve got no business working on salary; why don’t you go into
business for yourself?” I said, “Captain Buckner, that is simply out of
the question. I have neither name nor money.” He said, “Go and
ascertain how much money you will need to buy such stock as you
would be willing to start with.” Already acquainted with the custom on
terms, I stated that with five thousand dollars in cash I could buy a
fifteen-thousand-dollar stock of goods, on four and six months.
Captain Buckner said, “Go ahead, and get to work buying and draw
on us for five thousand dollars on the same arrangement that I had
with T. L. Philleo & Company.” That was to send him cotton next fall.
I said, “Captain Buckner, you don’t know who you are talking to, as I
have told you I have neither name nor money and you cannot afford
to take this risk.” He says, “You go and do what I tell you; I know all
about you and don’t want to know anything more.” This gave me to
understand that he was acquainted with my trouble and that I was
under an assumed name and not having any other prospects of
business in Rusk (which I could not afford to leave on account of the
great security this place offered), I decided to accept and told
Buckner that I would do business in the name of S. A. Wilson &
Company, S. A. Wilson, being a lawyer and a great friend of mine.
He was well known and a man of great influence. Buckner said to
arrange that to suit myself. He was already slightly acquainted with
Wilson and well posted on his character as a man. I immediately
went to work, buying goods for a stock of general merchandise,
which consumed about a week, and when ready to close up matters,
Captain Buckner suggested that instead of drawing drafts on them,
he give me the money to pay cash, in order to lead the merchants to
think that I was paying my own money, thereby establishing a better
credit. This was done.
Winding up my affairs in New Orleans, I took the first boat for
Shreveport, with my stock of goods aboard, and arrived in Rusk in
due time, followed by the stock. When I communicated my actions to
Judge Wilson, he seemed greatly surprised, but stated it was
perfectly satisfactory. I was at liberty to use him he said, whenever it
was necessary. The best storehouse in the place, though isolated
from the center of business, was vacant, and I rented this at a
nominal figure. When the goods arrived I soon had it the most
attractive place in the town.
Bob Martin, of course, was disappointed and made me the
scapegoat of his disappointment, blaming me for not buying his
stock of goods. I gradually built up a desirable business; went to
New Orleans twice a year and bought goods under the very shadow
of Sheridan’s headquarters.
When, after several years, the infamous reconstruction era was
terminated, the military withdrawn and civil government restored,
though in the hands of negroes and Radicals, I decided to assume
my identity and proceeded to New Orleans to settle up my bills.
After doing so, I would tell the managers, from this time on, the
firm is no longer S. A. Wilson & Company, but simply H. W. Graber.
“Why, Mr. Jones, have you sold out?” “No, sir; I have not sold out,
but simply correcting a fictitious name.” “Well, who is H. W. Graber?”
“This is the man,” which of course created surprise and when asked
for explanation, would tell them that I had been forced to hide out for
nearly four years, to keep General Sheridan from having me shot
down, which he had ordered his Texas garrisons to do, without the
benefit of a court martial, therefore I was forced to resort to hiding
my identity. I then suggested, as these people were all Northern
houses, that, “You don’t want to sell me any more goods?” when
they said, “Mr. Graber, go ahead and buy all the goods you want;
your credit is not the least impaired; a man that can pass through
such an ordeal, as you have done, unscathed, is entitled to more
credit than he needs.”
While, of course, this created a sensation in New Orleans
business circles, the most astonished man of them all was Captain
R. T. Buckner, who, it seems, didn’t know as much as he thought he
did, when he handed me his money.
Soon after my arrival at Rusk, I was made a Mason and also
joined the Odd Fellows Lodge. I joined these institutions in my own
name, satisfied that my secret would be safe with the membership.
During a great revival of the union of all churches, wife and I joined
the Presbyterian Church and I was ordained a deacon in the church,
in due time.
 CHAPTER XXVIII

I Assist in Establishing the Masonic

Institute.
In conjunction with some members of the Masonic Lodge, we
conceived the idea of creating a Masonic Institute, a school of high
grade, which was very much needed. I was appointed chairman of
the building committee. I went to work actively, in conjunction with
the committee, and raised means by private subscription, which
enabled us to go to work, building at once. When trustees were
elected I was made a member of the Board of Trustees and on the
organization of the faculty, we elected a Scotchman, one Professor
John Joss, believing that he would prove a good disciplinarian. He
had a great reputation as a teacher. There were some bad boys in
the community and in the language of Judge Guinn, who was a
member of the board, “We needed somebody to use the rod to
straighten out these bad characters.” In this, however, we were
mistaken; Professor Joss did not use the rod, but only kindness,
commanding the respect of the entire school, including these bad
boys, on account of his great knowledge and manner of imparting
instruction. He was a most popular teacher, beloved by all who came
in contact with him, and he built up a large and popular school, which
turned out such men as Governor Hogg and Governor Campbell and
no less than a dozen eminent lawyers and physicians known all over
the State. I regret to have to report that, in the course of four or five
years, on account of delicate health, Joss was forced to give up the
school and move to Galveston, where he died.
The town of Rusk, being left out by the International & Great
Northern Railroad, caused us to haul freight fifteen miles, over
mountains and bad roads. I began to plan railroad connection for the
town and conceived the idea of building a tap road, though unfamiliar
with railroad business and especially the cost of a road.
In accordance with my plans, I called a meeting of the business
men, submitting the same, which was to build a narrow gauge road
from Jacksonville to Rusk, getting a charter with a State land
donation of sixteen sections to the mile, which policy had been
adopted by the State to encourage the building of railroads. In
accordance therewith, we instructed Judge James E. Dillard, who
was our Senator from that district, then attending the Legislature in
session, to procure the necessary legislation and had him draw up a
charter for the Rusk tap road. The bill covering the same he
immediately introduced. I told my Rusk friends that with the aid of
sixteen sections to the mile, and a further bonus of twenty-five
thousand dollars in cash, which we believed could be raised in the
town, we could induce Ward, Dewey & Company, lessees of the
penitentiary, to accept these assets and build the road, as they had
several thousand convicts to feed and had no use for them.
While these matters were pending and the International Railroad
had been extended to Rockdale, I concluded to visit Rockdale,
prospecting for a new business location.
On this trip to Rockdale, I met Ira M. Evans, the Secretary of the
International Railroad Company, and submitted my plan of building a
tap road, suggesting that perhaps his company might be induced to
take hold of it, for the subsidy of the State land donation and the
twenty-five thousand dollars in cash. He laughed at the idea, saying
that they could not afford to run the road for its earnings, if we were
able to build a first-class connection. He said our community would
not be able to raise one-tenth of its cost and soon convinced me that
it would be cheaper to move the whole town of Rusk to Jacksonville,
than it would be to build a first-class road. I then submitted that, if we
were unable to build a railroad, why not build a tramway, which
would be within the bounds of our means and a vast improvement on
the wagon road. He readily fell into my scheme, suggested that it
was feasible, even with wooden rails, and that we had plenty of pine
timber, the heart of which could be bought cheap and would make
good, durable rails, amply strong, provided we would place ties
eighteen or twenty inches apart.
I now asked him, he being a practical railroad man, to submit a
specification on the grade, ties and rails, which he was pleased to
do, and suggested that we change the charter we had had
introduced, to that of the Rusk Tramway.
Immediately on my return to Rusk, I called a meeting of the
business men and leading citizens and submitted the plan for the
Rusk Tramway, having no difficulty in convincing them that we were
unable to build a railroad. A committee, appointed by the meeting,
was instructed to communicate to Senator Dillard our desire to
change the charter to that of the Rusk Tramway, which he did, and
included a clause granting eight sections to the mile.
After having established my business and a good credit in
commercial circles, I decided that in mercantile pursuits I was too
much circumscribed on account of existing conditions.
The bottom lands in Cherokee County were then the only
productive lands for cotton and, as the uplands were light and largely
worn out, and as I had a good knowledge of the prairie country
around Waxahachie, where I had spent several years of my
boyhood, I decided that this would be a better section of the State to
build up in, and arranged my matters to make this move within the
next twelve months.
When the charter for the tramway was returned, they proceeded
to organize and elected a Rev. Davis, a very influential and good
business man of the community, president of the company, after my
having refused the same, on the ground that I did not feel
permanently located, expecting to make a move to Waxahachie as
soon as possible. Rev. Davis proved a valuable man for the position
and immediately went to work canvassing the territory tributary to
Rusk, for the sale of stock, which he succeeded in doing, to a limited
extent and, by my advice, they commenced negotiations with Ward,
Dewey & Company, lessees of the penitentiary, for the construction
of the road. As heretofore stated, these people had a large force of
convicts which they had to feed, and no work for them. The country
subscriptions, which Rev. Davis secured, were paid in provisions and
forage by the farmers, which enabled the company to feed the
convicts while at work. After a time, I arranged to move to
Waxahachie and soon after I left Rusk. Ward, Dewey & Company
went to work on the construction of the road and before its
completion it was decided to use a little four-ton Porter-Allen
locomotive, in place of mules.
I forgot to mention, after submitting my plan for a railroad, Judge
Dillard came home on a visit to his sick wife and while spending a
few days at Rusk, had a meeting of the business men, which
numbered only seven or eight, in Captain Barron’s office. He
submitted that the Legislature had decided to branch the penitentiary
in Eastern Texas in the iron region, which was supposed to be near
Jefferson, at Kellyville; a Mr. Kelly having demonstrated the
existence of good iron ore in that section, manufacturing plows,
andirons, chimney backs, etc., the same as Mr. Philleo had done in
Cherokee County, but Dillard said, “Now, if you all want the
penitentiary located here, I believe I can secure it for you.”
One after another of these gentlemen got up and stated their
serious objections, saying they had one of the best and most moral
communities in the State of Texas and would not give up their school
prospect for the penitentiary. I suggested to them, saying, “You know
I am making my arrangements to leave here, because I do not see
any prospect for future growth of the place, but, gentlemen, now is
your time; you have been talking unlimited iron in the ground, of the
highest quality, but it will have to be demonstrated to private capital
that it is here in unlimited amount and high quality before you can
ever hope to induce private capital to expend the amount necessary
for such demonstration. There is no question in my mind that this
iron, if you are correct in your claims as to its quality and amount, will
prove the greatest resource of wealth, far greater than your farming
interests. Locate the penitentiary here; the State will be forced to
develop it and immediately build you a railroad connection to
Jacksonville.” After a full and fair investigation by this meeting they
became enthusiastic and instructed Dillard to go for it.
 To secure the location of Rusk for the penitentiary, it was
necessary to canvass its advantages with the Legislature and
especially take charge of a committee appointed by the Legislature
to select a location, which required a great deal of time and ability,
and, with the assistance and influence of friends of Dillard, who was
one of the most popular men in the State Senate, they finally
succeeded in landing the decision of the Legislature to build their
branch penitentiary at Rusk.
On the withdrawal of the Federal troops and the dissolution of the
Freedmen’s Bureau, E. J. Davis was appointed Temporary Governor
of Texas, until an election could be had for his successor. The
election was held in due time, resulting in a Radical Republican
Legislature, composed of some of the meanest men in the State and
a few negroes, with E. J. Davis elected his own successor and the
solid white element of the State disfranchised. They took charge and
commenced an era of plunder. I do not believe there were more than
a half dozen good men, including Judge Dillard and Professor J. R.
Cole, members of this Legislature, but these did everything they
could with the risk of being assassinated, to stem the drift of plunder.
Davis soon organized a State Militia and a State Police Force,
stationing them in populous negro districts, formerly occupied by
United States troops and Freedmen’s Bureau, all under the
leadership of Adjutant-General Davidson, who was as unscrupulous
a character on graft as any man ever in public office. He arrested
leading citizens in different sections of the State, without charges
being preferred against them, as they had not committed any
unlawful acts, and demanded large sums of money as ransoms. One
case was notable—that of a wealthy farmer near Hillsboro, a Mr.
Gathwright, whom he made pay ten thousand dollars for his release.
We had stationed at Rusk a lieutenant-sheriff, with his police,
who was a great friend of Judge Priest and whose daughter he
courted and finally married.
A Captain McAnally, who commanded a Confederate Scout in
Texas during the war and had proven a gallant soldier in the army,
was appointed by Davis, captain of police, and his acceptance urged
by his friends, thinking it would be for the best interests to have him
command a company of police, than any of the Radical gang. He
was finally induced to accept the appointment. His home was at
Brenham. He was instructed by the Governor to proceed to
Huntsville and await the orders of the District Court, presided over by
the infamous Judge Burnett. While court was in session, three young
men were arrested by McAnally for whipping a few insolent negroes
who had insulted some young ladies on the street returning home
from a shopping tour. These young men were taken before Judge
Burnett, with arms concealed about their person. The judge called
McAnally up to his bench and whispered his order to him, “Take
these men to the penitentiary, but be careful, I suspect they are
armed, and hold up the execution of this order until I can get to my
hotel.” Soon after the judge left his bench for the hotel, McAnally
demanded of these young men to throw up their hands, when they
immediately drew their six-shooters and commenced shooting at him
and his gang of police, shooting their way out of the courthouse,
wounding McAnally in the arm and he dropped between some
benches, pretending he was dead. This was, no doubt, what saved
him. Judge Burnett had not quite reached his hotel when he heard
the guns fire, broke into a run and crawled under the hotel. These
young men, after shooting their way out, mounted horses and started
north for the Indian Territory, by way of Rusk and Paris, with
McAnally and his police in close pursuit.
Arriving at Rusk he commanded Lieutenant Sheriff and party to
join him in this pursuit, which they did. On parting, on this trip, with
his sweetheart, Miss Lou Priest, Sheriff told her where he was going
with McAnally and on their return, they were going to arrest Mr.
Graber. The whole Priest family being good friends of ours and Miss
Lou’s sister, the wife of my friend, Judge Wilson, she immediately
went over to Judge Wilson’s and imparted this information about my
contemplated arrest. Judge Wilson came over to town and had a
meeting of a few of the leading lawyers of the place, notably the
Bonners, Judge R. H. Guinn and Judge J. E. Dillard, who after
canvassing the matter, decided that the object of my arrest was
altogether political. They were expecting to make great capital out of
it for the necessity of continuing their Radical regime. Satisfied that
they might manufacture evidence to convict me in a Radical court,
these friends advised that I had better go into exile again, thereby
probably saving my life. I told them to tell me what to do in order to
stay, for I had done all the running I ever expected to do. I was
satisfied this police had no legal authority for my arrest, as I had
never violated any civil law and I could not afford, in justice to my
family, my friends and my creditors, to again have my business
wrecked.
When these friends found that I was determined not to be
arrested by this infamous police and in order to be doubly sure, they
advised me to go down to Austin County and investigate the records
and know positively that this police had no authority for my arrest.
On leaving for this trip, armed with a letter from Colonel T. R.
Bonner to Judge J. D. Giddings, whom they suggested I call on for
advice in the matter, and leaving a message for Lieutenant Sheriff,
that I had gone on a trip for a week or ten days and promptly on my
return I would report to him, I left for Austin County.
Passing through Anderson, I conferred with Hannibal Boone, who
suggested there was no necessity for my going to Austin County,
where he was living at the time I had trouble with the soldiers. He
said that there could be no case against me, as I had violated no civil
law and my dealings were altogether with the military. Stopping at
Brenham, in my conference with Judge Giddings, he became very
much exercised on the threatened arrest of myself and said, “Mr.
Graber, go back home; resist their arrest in the most effective
manner. It is time we were calling a halt on this infamous police
system; resist them, and the whole State of Texas will be at your
back.” I said, “Judge Giddings, I thank you for the advice; it is exactly
my feeling and determination not to submit, peacefully, to this arrest.”
Being so close to the town of Bellville, I decided to finish my trip,
went there and called on Hunt & Holland, leading attorneys, who
repeated Judge Giddings’ advice. I now returned home and
immediately sent word to Lieutenant Sheriff that I could be seen at
my place of business at any time he wanted me.
 I returned at night and next morning proceeded up to my store,
sent word to Mr. R. B. Reagan, a brother of Judge John H. Reagan,
a man of iron nerve, the sheriff of the county, to come up to the store
at once. On reaching there I told him that Lieutenant Sheriff, with his
police, had threatened to arrest me, that I had just returned from
Austin County and had investigated, finding that they had no
authority or warrant for my arrest and I claimed his protection. He
said, “Mr. Graber, load up your shotguns in your stock, set them
behind your door and when they come to effect your arrest, open on
them and I and John and George, will be about.” John Reagan was
his deputy and a George Taylor, another deputy, all men as fearless
and resolute as any set of men ever together, with nerve to fight a
hundred police. In about an hour I noticed Lieutenant Sheriff coming
up the south side of the square, by himself, apparently unarmed. I
met him in my door, when he said, “Mr. Graber, Miss Lou Priest told
me that you had some very nice gentlemen’s hats.” I told him I had;
he told me he wanted to look at some. I got down a box of hats from
the top shelf and allowed him to select his hat out of the box, the size
he needed, treating him indifferently. He got out his number, put it on
his head and stepped up to a glass suspended on the shelf, passing
between the counters. Looking at the hat in the glass he said, “I
believe this becomes me pretty well; what is it worth?” I told him,
“Five dollars.” When he turned around to walk from behind the
counter, he espied the shotguns behind the door. I noticed it seemed
to affect him a little but he soon recovered, paid me the money and
left the store, saying, “A fine day today,” and this finally settled my
trouble. He evidently came there with the intention of spying out the
situation before attempting my arrest. When he left the house he
noticed Sheriff Reagan with his deputies near.
This ended my trouble. I felt I had conquered a peace which
would be a lasting one, as far as the military and our Radical
Government were concerned. This changed condition gave me a
free hand to engage in further enterprises and to rebuild my own
fortune, as well as to work toward the benefit of the community in
which I made my home.