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January
2002
Volume 66 |
Number
1
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FAER
REPORT
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New
FAER President:
We’re All in This Together |
Myer Rosenthal, M.D., President
Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research
As the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER)
begins its 16th year, I have been given the honor of becoming
its eighth President. Under the earlier leadership of William
K. Hamilton, M.D., in 1986, and followed by Alan D. Sessler, M.D.,
Donald R. Stanski, M.D., Patricia A. Kapur, M.D., William D. Owens,
M.D., Francis M. James III, M.D., and Carl C. Hug, Jr., M.D.,
FAER has established itself as the principle source of funding
for academic anesthesiologists attempting to establish themselves
in the scholarly areas of research and education.
The continued support of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
(ASA), anesthesia subspecialty societies, individual anesthesiologists
and corporate sponsors has provided the means for FAER to increase
its grant support and further the opportunities for new investigators
to gain the mentor-guided expertise to pursue innovative and clinically
relevant research and educational concepts. This support is essential
for the continued growth in clinical and scientific excellence
that provides the credibility for anesthesiology as a physician-led
specialty of medicine.
Since the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognized
anesthesiology as a primary specialty on February 16, 1941, we
as anesthesiologists have often been called to defend our leadership
of this specialty. Thus far we have been successful due in no
small part to the demonstrated scientific accomplishments of so
many of our physician colleagues. Neil Swissman, M.D., in addressing
the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) as the then
President of ASA, at a time of concern over the future of physician-led
anesthesiology practice, acknowledged the essential contribution
of academic anesthesia in stating that “the survival of anesthesia
is dependent on the survival of academic anesthesia.”
“The need to develop increased interest in academic
careers has rarely been as great as it is at present.
The anesthesiologist practicing in our training programs
is likely the first introduction medical students
see of our specialty, and the impression gained by
this interaction is often determinant of their career
choices.”
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The last 10 years have witnessed dramatic changes in our training
and academic programs. Misconceptions as to staffing needs coupled
with ominous economic predictions led to a profound drop in the
number of CA-1 anesthesiology residents from a high of 1,904 in
1992 with 85 percent (1,609) from American medical schools to
a low of 1,073 in 1996 with a further low of 40 percent (496)
of CA-1s from American medical schools in 1998. Recognition of
the impact of faulty predictions and the increasing need for anesthesiologists
in clinical practice has led to a resurgence of interest in anesthesiology
as a specialty for our American graduates with 1,466 CA-1-filled
positions in 2001 of which 980 (67 percent) came from American
medical schools.
These dramatic changes over such a brief period have also had
a significant impact on our academic programs. The need to develop
increased interest in academic careers has rarely been as great
as it is at present. The anesthesiologist practicing in our training
programs is likely the first introduction medical students see
of our specialty, and the impression gained by this interaction
is often determinant of their career choices. Encouraging our
trainees to consider academic careers is a major challenge particularly
as the marketplace for community anesthesia practice improves.
We should not consider ourselves in competition for a limited
resource but rather recognize that as we all developed dependent
on the knowledge, ability and mentorship of faculties in our training
programs, so too will the future clinicians, educators and scientists
who are essential to continue the excellence and create the vision
of the future of our specialty.
There is much that we can do together to guarantee the future
of what we have all worked so hard to further.
First, we must all consider a vision of what we believe
anesthesiology should be and must become in the future. Debra
A. Schwinn, M.D., in presenting the First Annual FAER Honorary
Research Lecture discussed the essential need to “Think out
of the box,” a concept of which I have recently become acutely
aware in my discussions with anesthesiologist and industry pioneer
William New, Jr., M.D. Both Dr. Schwinn and Dr. New have convinced
me that only through new and innovative approaches to our specialty
can we hope to maintain and grow our role in both perioperative
clinical care and contribute to the scientific knowledge necessary
to lead our specialty into this new century. FAER plans to work
hard to examine the role we can play in this most important endeavor.
Second, FAER is in the process of developing a strategic
plan to both encourage anesthesiology trainees and junior faculty
to examine careers in research and education. The National Institutes
of Health (NIH) and other sources of research dollars have been
largely untapped in recent years by anesthesiology. We must increase
the competitiveness of our anesthesiology research trainees to
establish themselves in a position to succeed in gaining this
support. This effort includes a rigorous application and review
of proposals by a panel of research experts similar to that to
be expected from the NIH and similar granting agencies. Also required
of candidates for FAER awards is the identification and active
participation of experienced research investigators as continuing
mentors in developing proposals and carrying out the investigation.
“FAER will be making every effort to convince
our potential supporters of the value of our effort
and to assure our contributors that their support
will be used in a manner to best achieve the goals
of furthering the educational and research objectives
of our specialty.”
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Finally, none of this can be achieved without the economic
support of our colleagues both in anesthesiology practice and
industry. FAER will be making every effort to convince our potential
supporters of the value of our effort and to assure our contributors
that their support will be used in a manner to best achieve the
goals of furthering the educational and research objectives of
our specialty. The goal to create the future academic leaders
in our specialty cannot be accomplished without this support.
Academic departments of anesthesiology are increasingly faced
with economic difficulty in decreasing clinical revenue as well
as government and institutional support.
Outside funding is therefore essential to allowing these programs
to provide the means for the training and education of future
scholars and scientists. We must all contribute in some manner
to this effort, and with your help and support, FAER will continue
to dedicate itself to this responsibility.
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Myer
H. Rosenthal, M.D., is Professor of Anesthesiology, Stanford
University, Stanford, California. |
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