ASA Resident Component
‘Growing Up’
E. Olita
Layton, M.D., Secretary
The ASA Resident Component (ASA-RC) was initiated
in 1988 when a handful of residents worked with the
Committee on Representation to propose an amendment
to the ASA Bylaws, forming ASA-RC as a special component
of ASA. As stated in the ASA Bylaws, the Society created
this special component “to encourage resident
participation, to develop young leaders with experience
in organized medicine and to improve resident awareness
of the role of ASA in the evolution of the specialty
of anesthesiology.”
Since then, ASA-RC has functioned by adapting to the
ASA Bylaws. In 1990 ASA-RC held its first House of
Delegates Meeting in conjunction with the ASA Annual
Meeting with presiding Resident Component Chair Timothy
S. Smyth, M.D. [Figure 1]. It is not unusual for a
society to start off without bylaws until the limited
meetings (due to the small number of participants)
grow to include hundreds of participants. It is time
to direct the progression of the ASA-RC while remaining
within the construct of the ASA Bylaws. At the upcoming
2003 Resident House of Delegates Meeting, ASA-RC’s
first constitution and bylaws will be presented in
resolution style.
In addition to providing organization for our growing
component, this document would widen the perspective
of residents regarding the services of ASA. While
a wide variety of the political and academic programs
of ASA are well known to residents, ASA-RC, organized
specifically to involve residents, is less visible.
ASA-RC serves with the following objectives found
in the proposed ASA-RC constitution: to give resident
issues a forum for discussion, to teach residents
how to participate effectively in organized medicine
and to provide a support mechanism for resident members
in their development as leaders.
There are some points of interest that you should
take notice of when reviewing the bylaws. First, there
would be the opportunity for subspecialty anesthesiology
fellows to participate actively as delegates to one
of seven ASA subspecialty society designations [Figure
2]. At the initiative of Allan R. Escher, D.O., the
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
has had the only subspecialty delegate in ASA-RC.
It would be invaluable to have a variety of subspecialty
input in our decision-making. Second, the proposed
bylaws encourage more focused group activities by
providing guidance for ASA-RC project ideas. Currently
ASA-RC organizes the annual American Medical Student
Association Airway Workshop, which has been successfully
inspiring medical students for three years. The Section
on Projects also notes that an annual report from
the Project committee is required in order to preserve
continuity, facilitate officer turnover and inform
residents of ASA-RC activities. Lastly, the proposed
bylaws offer a venue for problem-solving with task
forces, which are focused temporary committees used
to solve time-sensitive problems (addressing imposing
political issues) or tasks requiring manpower (updating
the “Residents’ Guide to the ASA”).
If you are considering running for any of the prestigious
ASA-RC positions, the duties of the Governing Council
and other officer positions listed in the proposed
bylaws may be particularly helpful to you. It will
also be important for future Governing Council members
to focus on improving the bylaws and presenting them
in an acceptable format to ASA. I will serve as adjunct
member on the Committee on Bylaws to facilitate this
process. Please review the file online at <www.ASAhq.org/asarc/bylaws.html>
prior to the House of Delegates Meeting as it is an
informative yet lengthy document. Feel free to contact
me with any questions or suggestions.
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E.
Olita Layton, M.D., is a CA-2 resident at the
University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. |
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