In medicine we often draw a solid line between community and academic medicine, but this is likely a fallacy. In fact there is a huge amount of academia that can be found and thrive in a community hospital. In this interview we talk with Dr. Salim Rezaie of the REBEL EM blog and podcast, a man who has walked both sides of this imaginary line between community and academics. In our chat we discuss ways to get involved in academics in the community and the vast array of rewards that come with that, including improved patient care, increased fervor for your work, decreased burnout, and increased career longevity.