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April 2000
Volume 64 |
Number 4
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| ASRA and Pain
Management: Resident Opportunities |
Allan R. Escher, Jr.,
D.O., Chair-Elect
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Resident Section
The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine,
or ASRA, is a pre-eminent subspecialty organization that seeks
"...to affiliate...all anesthesiologists and other physicians
and scientists who are engaged in or interested in the techniques
of regional anesthesia for surgery, obstetrics and pain control."1
To accomplish its mission, ASRA provides its members with an exciting
variety of services: ASRA News, the ASRA Annual Meeting,
complimentary workshops and the peer-reviewed journal Regional
Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. A unique feature of this society
is its resident component. No other subspecialty society has its
own resident section.
As it celebrates its silver anniversary this year, the ASRA
Annual Meeting serves not only as a forum for communication between
members but also offers numerous didactic sessions for the busy
practitioner: refresher courses, workshops and parallel scientific
sessions, with emphasis on obstetric anesthesia and pain medicine.
A Master Class series features experts leading small-group interactive
discussions. Interventional Pain Management Cadaveric Workshops
focus on analgesic modalities such as spinal cord stimulation,
chemical and radiofrequency neurolysis and intrathecal pump management
and placement. The Annual Resident Forum, "Promoting Regional
Anesthesia in Residency and Beyond," discusses residency review
requirements, goals for efficiency and proficiency for residents
and how to overcome obstacles to regional anesthesia in programs
across the country.
The ASRA Resident Section, founded in 1995 through the dedication
of Vivek Mahendru, M.D., functions " ...to encourage resident
interest in regional anesthesia and pain medicine, ...to promote
research and education in regional anesthesia for surgery, obstetrics,
and pain control, ...to participate in resident education, ...and
to encourage residents to gain experience in organized medical
societies, thereby promoting their development as future leaders."
2 Membership is vital to achieve these
goals. As of October 6, 1999, a total of 3,116 residents were
members, of which 1,724 were paying (55 percent). Membership is
complimentary to CA-1 residents. A modest membership fee of $25
applies to CA-2 and CA-3 residents and includes a complimentary
subscription to Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.
Worldwide membership totals 8,992, with 7,473 members in the United
States and 1,519 foreign members.
Offices within the resident section provide leadership opportunities
for residents. The chair presides at all meetings of the resident
section at the annual meeting and at the ASA Annual Meeting in
the fall. The chair also organizes communication between the ASRA
Board of Directors and the ASRA Resident Section Committee, submits
an annual report to the board of directors and moderates the ASRA
Resident Forum at the annual meeting. The ASRA NEWSLETTER
advisor coordinates, edits and submits the quarterly published
ASRA News Resident Column, assists the chair in conducting
the affairs of the resident section and assumes the position of
chair at the end of the first year of duty. The Member-at-Large
assists the chair and attends the meetings of the resident section.
The ASRA Resident Component Section Web site is located here.
By clicking on the Resident Section, links are provided to many
areas of interest to residents, including information about upcoming
events, resident opportunities such as the ASRA Resident Research
Awards and a list of e-mail addresses and contact names, plus
links to many related resources on the World Wide Web. If you
are interested in more information about ASRA, send
e-mail, through ground mail to: ASRA, P.O. Box 11086, Richmond,
VA 23230-1086; telephone (804) 282-0010 or fax (804) 282-0090.
References:
1. Mission Statement, ASRA.
2. Mission Statement, ASRA Resident Section,
1999.
Allan R. Escher, Jr., D.O., is a CA-2 resident
in anesthesiology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
He is also ASRA Newsletter Advisor and a member of the ASA Committee
on Governmental Affairs.
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