I have been a member of the AFMR for 30 nearly years, joining what was then known as the American Federation for Clinical Research (AFCR) while an infectious diseases fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill in the mid-1980s. Exposure to the wide array of cutting edge biomedical research being done by physician-scientists through the annual meeting of the AFCR, ASCI and AAP was enlightening. My research focuses on the role of reactive oxygen species and iron in host defense and inflammation. This research spans medical subspecialties and as such the AFMR and the tri-society meeting offered an opportunity to network and learn from physician-scientists who represented multiple specialty and subspecialty disciplines – something that was not possible at my subspecialty meetings. These interactions, as well as the society’s support of and showcasing young physician-scientists, continued to be important in the development of my independent research program and as a junior faculty member at the University of Iowa. However, it was joining the council of the Midwest section of the AFMR and ultimately moving up the leadership ladder from Midwest section Council member, to Midwest section President, to National Council member, to President that has had the most lasting influence on my career. This experience, which began while was still an assistant professor, helped me to develop a number of skills that are critical to future success in academic medicine leadership positions: communication, budget management, recruitment, research trends, public policy, networking, appreciation for different clinical disciplines, mentoring and many more. I was very fortunate to work on the councils with a talented group of other young physician-scientists. We mentored and supported one another, something that has continued throughout our careers after completing our terms on the AFMR councils. A significant number of these individuals have gone on to leadership positions within academic medicine as center directors, subspecialty division chiefs, department chairs, deans and chancellors. As I have moved from division director of infectious diseases at Iowa to Chair of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati to my current position of Dean of the College of Medicine of the University of Nebraska Medical Center and President of its clinical enterprise I have continued to call on this group of individuals for advice and support and have even tried to recruit a couple. Suffice it to say that my experience on the council and as president of the AFMR afforded me opportunities that have been invaluable in my development as a successful physician scientist and in preparing me for my transition into academic leadership positions. I will always be appreciative of the contributions that the AFMR has made to my career.