The Young Professionals Network: A New Initiative for The Heart Valve Society

Introduction

The Heart Valve Society (HVS) is a community of scientists, cardiologists, and cardiac surgeons that was created with the united ambition to reduce the global burden of heart valve disease. ¹

An analysis of the HVS data from 2020 to 2023 revealed that students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows (candidate members) comprise approximately 10% of the society membership and 30% of the annual meeting registrants. The self-described specialties of these students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows are largely research (∼60%), followed by cardiac surgery (∼20%), and cardiology (∼5%), among other specialties (∼15%) (Figure 1A).

Figure 1.

The Heart Valve Society (HVS) Young Professionals Network (YPN). (A) Society membership and conference attendance demographics. (i) Percentage of candidate HVS members 2020-2023 (as a proxy for ‘Young Professionals’). (ii) Percentage of Students, Residents & Fellows conference attendees 2023-2024 (as a proxy for ‘Young Professionals’). Breakdown of specialties for young* versus other registrants. (B) Young HVS board members 2024-2025. (C) Aligned HVS YPN goals and planned projects. Network: online networking, in-person networking, mentoring circles, promotional opportunities, and Q&A channel. Career Centre: professional development program, job postings, grant resources, and opportunities for Young HVS within the larger society. Awards: complimentary membership for abstract winners, travel, and mini-collaborative project awards. (D) QR code to join the HVS-YPN Slack workspace.

HVS president 2024, Prof. Carlijn Bouten, emphasized the importance of this growing cohort of young professional HVS members and initiated the HVS Young Professionals Network (YPN) Board at the HVS2024 meeting. “Young HVS is instrumental for the future of the field, and the future of the society. By exposing heart valve clinicians, researchers, and engineers to the multidisciplinary community early in their careers and letting them build their own networks for exchange, mentoring, and mutual collaboration, I am convinced that both the HVS and the next generation of HVS clinicians, scientists, and engineers will profit tremendously from this new network of enthusiastic HVS members.”

The HVS-YPN Board has since defined Young HVS Professionals as students, scholars, or medical professionals who are at the undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate level up to 5 years post-terminal degree. In this manner, all pre-doctoral and pre-medical students are included, as well as those from all sectors of the society (medical, research, or industry), which is uniquely suited to the multidisciplinary nature of the Heart Valve Society.

The objective of the current forum in this first edition of the Journal of the Heart Valve Society is to introduce the YPN subdivision to the wider HVS and mark the beginning of this exciting journey towards fostering a vibrant and inclusive community for young professionals within HVS. While the HVS has a strong and engaged community, including well-established investigators and physicians worldwide, the launch of this novel subdivision of the HVS underscores our commitment to provide a strong platform dedicated to the growth and development of emerging talents, as has been implemented within other societies.^2–4 This network will be led by a rotating board of young professionals within HVS (Figure 1B), which aims to represent academic research, clinical, and industry sectors. This community forum will present the mission and vision of the HVS-YPN initiative and summarize the goals and aligned action plans determined by the HVS-YPN Board.

Mission and vision

Suggestions received from the young HVS community at HVS-YPN inaugural events during the HVS 2024 meeting and from an online survey conducted through the official HVS-YPN Slack Channel informed the development of the HVS-YPN mission and vision. This initiative, specifically targeted towards young professionals in collaboration with the parent HVS organization, will benefit the broader community by facilitating and encouraging active engagement and knowledge sharing. The HVS-YPN should therefore support young professionals to build a network of peers and mentors, independent and complementary to their supervisors, that builds upon the global and interdisciplinary community of Heart Valve Society.

The mission of the HVS-YPN is to create a diverse and interactive community of young professionals within the Heart Valve Society with the goal of membership engagement, career advancement, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

To achieve the above-mentioned mission, the primary objective is twofold: first, to seek active engagement of young professionals within the HVS community. An active network specifically for young professionals will mutually benefit both the individual professionals and the broader community by facilitating engagement and knowledge sharing. Secondly, while many young professionals may be introduced to networks within the HVS through their supervisors or mentors, young professionals must establish their own networks to advance their careers.

Given that the HVS community is widespread and globally oriented, the HVS-YPN aims to provide a platform to connect young professionals with their peers as well as established investigators, disseminate the latest research findings, create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations, and share job opportunities. Specifically, through the promotion of collaborative efforts among young professionals within training stages of pathways towards independent research, clinical practice, and industry. The HVS-YPN envisions a future where emerging scholars will have the resources, support, and collaborative opportunities to push the boundaries of knowledge and drive innovation across diverse disciplines. By creating an inclusive and interdisciplinary platform, HVS-YPN aims to inspire a new generation of leaders who will shape the future of heart valve research at large with their fresh perspectives on clinical practice, and cutting-edge research. The overarching vision aligns with HVS - to optimize a training environment that works towards diminishing the global burden of heart valve disease.

The vision of HVS-YPN is to foster a vibrant and dynamic community that nurtures the intellectual and professional growth of early-career researchers and medical professionals.

Goals and initiatives

Ongoing projects

A major goal of HVS-YPN was to create an online community of engaged young professionals to network and access relevant resources for career advancement in the field of heart valve disease. The HVS-YPN board created an online Slack Network for this purpose. The platform aims to encourage year-long engagement of the young community between annual meetings, facilitate online networking, and create a source of feedback from the community. In addition to the online network and virtual events, HVS-YPN will host in-person events at the annual HVS society meeting. The HVS-YPN Board hosted a networking lunch, a social event, and launched the Young HVS Slack channel at HVS 2024. At the networking lunch, young professionals enthusiastically participated in roundtable discussions. Topics included marketing yourself, building networks, bridging gaps in knowledge within conversations, career development, and work-life balance. Further, feedback was gathered from attendees to inform the initial directions of the network.

Leveraging social media platforms presents a significant opportunity to connect with young professionals globally. ⁵ Through targeted campaigns, interactive content, and regular updates, the HVS-YPN can increase its visibility and attract new members. Engaging content such as member highlights, research showcases, and interactive Q&A sessions can foster a vibrant online community. Have you recently published? Received a grant? Been promoted? Lead a project? The HVS-YPN will highlight young professional members once a month on HVS social media platforms. Stuck on an experiment? Trouble analyzing data? Using new software? Tricky diagnosis? Difficulty understanding a surgical approach? Get direct feedback from the community and troubleshoot within the Slack channel.

Anticipated projects

Mentor and Trainee Connections: Connecting trainees with experienced mentors within the Heart Valve Society can enhance career development. ⁶ Established HVS members are encouraged to volunteer as mentors, highlighting the benefits of mentorship, such as shaping the next generation of professionals and contributing to the field's growth. Mentors are also urged to bring their mentees to participate in HVS annual meetings, engage with the HVS Young Board, and present their work. This exposure offers an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives from a community encompassing heart valve disease basic science, clinical practice, and industry. Such interactions are invaluable for the growth and development of young professionals, as well as to ‘bridge the gap’ between the aforementioned disciplines. ⁷

The HVS-YPN aims to create a comprehensive career development support system (career center) by implementing the following (Figure 1C):

Job Postings and Opportunities within HVS: Highlight relevant academic and industry positions. Members listed in the directory can provide insights into institutional, lab, or company environments for direct communication before application.

Grant Resources: Collect resources, tips, and tricks for applications, and pair members with peer reviewers to strengthen their applications.

Professional Development Programs: Organize workshops, webinars, and training sessions focused on skills development, such as grant writing, public speaking, and leadership.

Recognition and Awards - The HVS-YPN is committed to recognizing and supporting the achievements of its members. Through various awards, we aim to encourage long-term engagement, facilitate professional development, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration within the young heart valve community. Pending funding, HVS-YPN plans to sponsor the following:

• Complementary Membership for Abstract Award Winners: HVS has a strong history of highlighting young investigators and clinicians each year at the HVS Annual Meeting via Poster and Oral abstract awards. HVS-YPN aims to sponsor complimentary membership to young investigators and clinician award winners to encourage long-term engagement.

• Travel Awards to HVS Conference: Award travel grants to active members to facilitate attendance at the Annual Meeting, with awardees highlighted in the HVS program.

• Collaborative Mini-Training Project Awards: Sponsor collaborative mini-projects to encourage cross-institutional, interdisciplinary collaborations.

Potential challenges

Encouraging young professionals to actively participate in the network can be challenging. Clear communication of the benefits, including access to exclusive resources, networking, mentoring opportunities, and career advancement tools will be essential. ⁸ Additionally, creating a sense of community and belonging through regular, interactive events and continuous engagement on social media platforms can help maintain member interest and participation.

Another key challenge will be maintaining momentum after the initial excitement. Ensuring that the HVS-YPN board consistently delivers value and new opportunities will be crucial to keeping members engaged. This requires careful planning and the ability to adapt to the changing needs and interests of the members.

Securing consistent funding is a primary challenge for the HVS-YPN initiative. While initial activities may be supported by existing resources, sustaining long-term initiatives, and offering financial support, such as travel awards, will require dedicated funding streams. Strategies to address this include seeking sponsorship from industry partners. While HVS-YPN activities will be free of charge, encouraging young members to pay the membership fee to the larger HVS organization will support its overall sustainability and indirectly benefit HVS-YPN.

Conclusion

The establishment of the HVS-YPN marks a pivotal moment in the HVS commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in heart valve research and clinical practice. By fostering a dynamic and inclusive community, the HVS-YPN aims to support young professionals in their career development, facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations, and ensure active engagement within the global heart valve community. Through targeted initiatives, recognition of achievements, and the creation of robust support systems, the HVS-YPN is poised to drive innovation and make an impact in the field.

We invite all young professionals—students, residents, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career professionals—to join us in this exciting journey (Figure 1D). By becoming part of the HVS-YPN, you will gain access to valuable resources, networking opportunities, and a platform to share your work and ideas. Together, we can diminish the global burden of heart valve disease and shape a brighter future for both the society and the patients it serves. Join us today and be a part of the future of heart valve research, clinical practice, and industry innovation.

We also call upon the established members of the Heart Valve Society to support this initiative. Your experience, mentorship, and resources are invaluable to the growth and success of our young professionals. By actively participating in the HVS-YPN, you can help guide the next generation, fostering a legacy of excellence and innovation. Encourage your mentees to get involved, offer your expertise, and contribute to the vibrant community that will drive our society forward. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the future of heart valve disease treatment and research.