Perspectives
A Word From the President
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Improving the Transition to Residency
By Darrell G. Kirch, MD, AAMC President and CEO
I, like so many physicians, vividly remember my first day as a resident. Once again this year, on July 1, first-year medical residents across the country will report to their residency programs to begin the next phase of their careers. While still learners, these residents are graduating to a level of increased responsibility and independence. While still learners, these residents are graduating to a level of increased responsibility and independence. They are transitioning from performing clinical rotations under the watchful eye of a mentor to seeing patients independently, entering and discussing orders and prescriptions, and working as part of an interprofessional team. The first day of residency is the culmination of a transition from student to resident that starts early in a medical student’s journey.
Viewpoints
Friday, June 23, 2017
Effective Advocacy: Applying What I Learned on the Hill
by Karen Fisher, JD, AAMC Chief Public Policy Officer
Successful advocacy depends on continuous engagement and ongoing relationships, AAMC Chief Public Policy Officer Karen Fisher, JD, writes in a Viewpoint.
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Free Movement of People and Ideas Contributes to the Progress of American Medicine
by Edward C. Halperin, MD, MA, chancellor and CEO of New York Medical College/Touro College and University System
Immigrants have been vital in the fight against disease. And immigrant physicians today continue to contribute to medical advances, Edward Halperin, MD, MA, writes in a Viewpoint.
In March, two internal medicine residents from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) died in an avalanche while hiking in Canada. The sad news hit Emmett Kistler, MD, a fellow internal medicine resident, harder than he expected.
Kistler turned to Kerri Palamara, MD, who founded and developed the MGH Internal Medicine Professional Development Coaching Program. The program, which was rolled out in 2012, is designed to provide emotional and professional support to residents. The program has grown from an initial 26 coaches—all volunteer faculty members—to more than 100 coaches, who are trained to help residents identify the personal strengths that will help them accomplish their goals.
“We’re a very large residency program, and it started to feel like we just didn’t have a good sense of how people were doing,” said Palamara, also director of the MGH primary care residency program. “We knew people were struggling, but we often found out too late. We were losing the ability to know how residents were doing with their personal, professional, and emotional development.”
Academic Medicine in the News
Thursday, July 27, 2017
A Way to Objectively Measure Residents’ Surgical Skills? No Sweat
Medical school professors measure surgical residents’ level of clinical competency, confidence, and decision-making skills through personal observations. But there might be an easier way to evaluate surgical skills. A recent study, conducted at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, found that levels of perspiration can provide an objective evaluation of the surgical skills of resident physicians.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Addressing the Urgent Need to Train Doctors to Care For Older Americans
As the baby boomer population continues to increase, there is an evolving need for doctors who are trained in the needs of seniors. In an effort to address this growing concern, the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Chief Resident Immersion Training program is designed to improve chief residents’ understanding of geriatric care challenges, and enhance their leadership and teaching skills through small group discussions, mini-lectures, and mentoring sessions.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Recovery Center to Combat Opioid Addiction Opens in Rhode Island
Lifespan, Rhode Island’s largest hospital system, has opened an outpatient treatment facility for those dealing with opioid addiction and substance abuse called the Lifespan Recovery Center in Providence. The Recovery Center, which has the capacity to treat up to 650 patients, seeks to tie together all aspects of treatment for the patient.