Summer 2021 Issue
In This Issue
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President's Message
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Resident “Hot Button” Issues for Upcoming CME Conference – October 7, 2021
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Medical Education in the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Elect Your GLAAEM Board of Directors
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Become Part of our Newsletter
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GLAAEM Board of Directors
President’s Message
Dear GLAAEM Member,
This is my final message as president of the chapter division. I have enjoyed serving as President over the past two years and feel the chapter division is headed in the right direction. Namely, we have tried to become more responsive to members’ expectations. I am excited to share with you the progress we have made on a number of fronts!
On the advocacy front, the GLAAEM board was notified this spring that the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice’s Policy and Planning Committee would hold a hearing on revising its Initial and Renewal Licensure application language. The current application language requires an applicant to disclose whether they have been informed or diagnosed by their physician, within the past five years, of a physical, mental, or emotional condition which impairs their ability to practice medicine. This language is a deterrent to physicians and physicians in training seeking treatment. In a study conducted by Mayo, 40% of physicians stated that they would be reluctant to seek formal medical care for treatment of a mental health condition because of concerns about repercussions to their licensure. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have acknowledged that the language used by most state licensing boards inadvertently discriminates against physicians with mental illness and is not in compliance with the ADA. Interestingly, based on the evidence presented to the board, the Great Lakes region is a leader on the issue of physician health. The states of Michigan and Wisconsin have consistent language for both Initial and Renewal Licensure applications. The states of Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio have consistent language for either the Initial or Renewal Licensure applications. The chapter division board sent a letter on behalf of our colleagues in Minnesota supporting the change of the health question to “do you currently have any condition for which you are not being appropriately treated that impairs your judgment or that otherwise adversely affect your ability to practice medicine in a competent, ethical, and professional manner? (Yes/No).” We will inform you when the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice makes a decision.
On the education front, the chapter division is moving forward with plans to have a virtual, free, CME event on Thursday, October 7. Henry Ford Hospital and the University of Iowa Emergency Medicine residency program will co-host this event. We are planning a full day session. The first half of the session will be dedicated more to residents and students and focus on discussing important issues facing emergency medicine. The second half of the session will target practicing physicians and may help satisfy state licensure CME credits. Don’t worry if you are unable to attend the session since we plan on having the lectures available online to watch and review at your convenience.
Finally, this newsletter is the first issue in over four years where members of the board have an opportunity to communicate with you. I believe the newsletter is important for both the board and the membership to learn about issues within the chapter division. I invite students, residents, and practicing physicians within our chapter division to contribute to future newsletters. For students and residents, we would like to have a “Case (or Cases) of the Quarter” to highlight the interesting cases that we take care of within our chapter. In addition, if there is a hot button student or resident issue, we welcome essay submissions to keep everyone abreast of important topics. For practicing physicians, please notify us of any issues that we could potentially advocate on your behalf or gather more information about. We may not know all of the important issues in each state and will rely on you communicating with the board to better serve you.
As I finish my term as President, I feel the chapter division is making meaningful progress in many areas. I am certain the next President and executive board will do a great job and continue to grow and develop the chapter division. To ensure the continued development of the chapter division, the executive board will need participation from rank-and-file members. Your input will help guide the executive board. If the executive board and membership work as a team we will be able to achieve a chapter division that meets everyone’s needs.
Sincerely,
Sudhir Baliga, MD FAAEM
President, GLAAEM
Resident “Hot Button” Issues for Upcoming CME Conference – October 7, 2021
- Residency education virtually
- Job searching in the COVID era
- The takeover of commercialized medicine and independent contracting with death of private groups
- Recruitment for residency, how to recruit interested medical students with limited in person interaction/Zoom interviews
- Zoom interview tips (job searching/resident recruitment)
- The flood of graduates to the job market
- How to stand out with this new flood, CV tips, interview tips, etc.
- How to analyze a contract
- Insurance discussion, malpractice, disability, life, medical/dental
- 3-year programs vs 4-year programs
Medical Education in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Tristan Davis, DO — Resident Representative, GLAAEM
As emergency medicine residents we have all become too familiar with the pathology of COVID-19. Although COVID-19 has saturated our shifts in the emergency department, it has also infected the process of education delivery. The move to virtual didactics, conferences, and lectures has been difficult for all members of the education community: Grade school members, undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical residents. There is concern about the engagement of learners on this virtual platform and the subsequent effects of difficult educational delivery. This effect certainly has been felt by the incoming 2021 Intern class, whom as medical students were removed from clinical rotations.
It has also been difficult as residents; however, to continue engagement in activities such as simulation learning. Simulations are a large part of an emergency medicine residency, considering the procedural orientation of our specialty. In response to the government initiated social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, our residents and faculty members of the West Michigan Emergency Medicine Residency have reformatted the traditional academic escape room to accommodate a virtual learning environment. This format has allowed the program to continue a simulation learning curriculum in an online platform during a time of mandated physical distancing. My fellow Co-Chief and I also modified this idea to showcase locations and activities in West Michigan during virtual pre-interview events to medical students interested in our residency program. It provided a glimpse into Western Michigan without having to visit us in person.
Check out the video below that guides you through the development of a virtual escape room. Our residents really enjoy the virtual escape room format. Engagement is stimulated by the novelty of the education delivery and by the competition involved, for victory in the escape room earns coffee gift cards in our program!
Elect Your GLAAEM Board of Directors
Voting is currently open for the 2021-2022 GLAAEM Board of Directors.
Open Positions
- State Representative - Michigan
- Resident Representative (2 positions)
Deadline to vote: July 23, 2021 at 11:59pm CT
Become Part of our Newsletter
Dear Residency Programs & Residents,
The Great Lakes Chapter Division of AAEM (GLAAEM) is re-introducing our newsletter, which will be distributed electronically 3-4 times a year. The newsletter will keep chapter division members apprised of the happenings in the region. Also, to make the newsletter more engaging, we want to highlight interesting patients that our resident members have taken care of. Please keep submissions approximately 500 words in length. The submissions will not be formally peer-reviewed by the GLAAEM Board of Directors, but will be reviewed for content. Also, we intend to have calls for more interesting cases for future newsletters. In the event we have too many interesting cases, we will publish these cases in future newsletters. Please feel free to email the GLAAEM board if you have any questions, would like further information or would like to submit your article glaaem@aaem.org.
Sincerely,
Sudhir Baliga, MD FAAEM
President, GLAAEM
On behalf of the GLAAEM Board of Directors
GLAAEM Board of Directors
Officers
- President: Sudhir Baliga, MD FAAEM
- Vice President: Scott Boston, MD FAAEM
- Secretary/Treasurer: Robert Zemple, MD FAAEM
- Immediate Past President: Ronny Otero, MD FAAEM
State Representatives
- Iowa Representative: Olivia Erin Bailey, MD FAAEM
- Michigan Representative: Marc B. Ydenberg, MD FAAEM
- Ohio Representative: Eric W. Brader, MD FAAEM
- Wisconsin Representative: Brady McIntosh, MD FAAEM
Resident Representatives
- Mary Blaha, DO
- Tristan Davis, DO
Stay tuned for an announcement regarding your 2021-2022 Board of Directors when voting closes!