Dear Consulting Section Members:
Over the past several months we have had a good bit of discussion about the business side of statistical consulting. We weren't able to elicit much interest for an "Invited" session on this topic this year, but have had some interest in putting together a "Contributed" session on this topic (abstract Due Feb 1). Immediately below is an idea for a proposal on this topic from Dr. Bill Grant (SUNY Upstate Medical University). He has kindly agreed to coordinate a session on this topic, if we can find enough speakers who would be willing to participate. If you have an interest in helping Bill with this type of a session, feel free to correspond with him directly. His contact information is at the end of his note below.
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Recently there was a wonderful discussion regarding issues around the practicalities of consulting. We would like to proposal a discussion to be held at the 2011 JSM on this topic. I have taken the liberty of working up a short description of the content and some suggestions for discussant characteristics. All of this is open to suggestion. The completed abstracts are due no later than Feb 1, 2011 but it would be nice to wrap this up early.
Here are the requests:
(1) Does this sound useful?
(2) Do you have someone you would like to nominate (including yourself) to be a discussant?
(3) Are there specific folks you would like to invite? (Remember there is limited time and I would hope the session would have time for both content and Q&A)
Unless someone else would like to do this, I would be happy to organize this and chair it. I think this could be very interesting for both those trying to get into consulting and those of us who have been at it a while.
Full Disclosure:
I do consulting as a second/side 'career' from a full-time medical school academic position. I have in the past worked full time for a private consulting company. I have a Subchapter S, an LLC, soon a 501 (c)3, have NDA's with three medical device companies who do work ranging from diagnostic devices to implants. Have done analyses for governmental agencies and private companies. I do FDA submissions and other regulatory, etc. I specialize in forensic and 'rescue' analyses. So my issues with determining and using appropriate organizational structures, issues of professional liabilities, etc. may be different from what other folks normally encounter but I would also like to hear from everyone who is trying to make a success of this business.
William D. Grant, Ed.D.
Professor, Emergency Medicine
Professor, Family Medicine
SUNY Upstate Medical University
750 E. Adams St. EmStat
Syracuse, NY 13210
315-464-4861 (p) 315-464-4854 (f)
[end of contributed note]
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Richard Ittenbach
Statistical Consulting Section, 2011 Program Chair
Assoc Professor of Pediatrics
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
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