Annual Meeting Review:
Residents to Meet Challenges Head-on
Brian N. Vaughan, M.D.,
Chair
Resident Component Governing Council
It was great to see the enthusiasm shown by residents
at this year’s ASA Annual Meeting. The Resident
Component continues to grow and build upon its past
successes. This year’s Resident Component House
of Delegates conducted an unprecedented amount of
business. In addition, the Leadership Training/Grassroots
Advocacy Workshop and the Resident Forum provided
an excellent opportunity for education and addressing
resident concerns. Although as residents we are busy,
it is vital to maintain this interest throughout the
year.
The past year has seen numerous achievements by the
Resident Component, including passage of Resident
Component Bylaws and passage in the full House of
Delegates of an amendment increasing the Resident
Component’s voting representation in the House
from one to five. We need to thank the outgoing members
of the Governing Council. Both Bracken J. DeWitt,
M.D., Ph.D. (Chair) and Sherri B. Ross, D.O. (Delegate
to the American Medical Association) provided tremendous
leadership. The success of the Resident Component
is due in no small part to their efforts. Although
her term as secretary is at its end, E. Olita Layton,
M.D., will be joining this year’s Governing
Council as Chair-Elect. Congratulations to her and
the other new members of the council, Natalia I. Brown,
M.D. (Alternate Delegate to the AMA) and Crystal C.
Wright, M.D. (Secretary). This year Dr. Brown
will assist Jill E. Beland, M.D., who succeeds Dr.
Ross as a delegate to the AMA/RFS.
Leadership Training/Grassroots Advocacy Workshop
Once again, the Committee on Governmental Affairs
produced an excellent program in conjunction with
the ASA Washington Office. The first half of the program
was spent discussing anesthesiologist assistants (AAs).
A. William Paulsen, M.MSc., Ph.D., Associate Professor
and Program Director at Emory University School of
Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, described the training
process for AAs. He detailed the process from prerequisite
training through student selection and curriculum
for certification. Steven D. Goldfien, M.D., Chair
of the Ad Hoc Committee on Anesthesiologist Assistants
Education Programs, provided perspective on ASA’s
involvement with AA education and practice. Both speakers
highlighted the similarities and differences between
AAs and nurse anesthetists. Handouts summarizing the
material were distributed and are available through
the ASA Executive Office.
The program also focused on legislative affairs. Director
of Governmental and Legal Affairs Michael Scott, J.D.,
and Associate Director of Governmental Affairs S.
Diane Turpin, J.D., provided an update on issues at
the federal and state level. Topics included tort
(malpractice suit) reform, scope of practice for nurse
anesthetists and Medicare reimbursement. John M. Zerwas,
M.D., 2003 Chair of the Committee on Governmental
Affairs, discussed the importance of physician involvement
at all levels, from within hospitals to local, state
and federal governments. Although it is easy to become
fixated on issues in Washington, many important legislative
decisions are made at the local/state level where
single individuals can have a significant influence.
Resident Component House of Delegates
The House of Delegates continues to grow. More delegates
(115) were able to attend the meeting than in any
previous year. As a testament to the evolution of
the House of Delegates as a mechanism for addressing
resident concerns, 12 resolutions were debated. Resolutions
dealt with such important issues as the rising cost
of the boards, the education of residents regarding
AAs and resident representation on the ASA Board of
Directors. Also the Resident Component supported ASA’s
formation of a Task Force on Expert Witness Testimony,
the development of a governmental affairs education
toolkit for residents, and the creation of a resident
research forum at the Annual Meeting. Perhaps most
importantly, the House passed its constitution and
bylaws. For a full description of the proceedings
and the minutes for the House of Delegates, visit
the Resident Component Web site at <www.ASAhq.org/asarc/index.html>.
Residents’ Forum
Valuable feedback has always come from the open forums,
and this year was no different. The major topics of
concern were the proposed change to an integrated
four-year anesthesiology residency and medical school
debt. Residents received an update on the format of
the proposed new curriculum. For residents who were
unable to attend, your program director should be
able to provide an update as the RRC is currently
soliciting feedback on a draft proposal of the curriculum.
Of note, Australian residents recently went through
a similar conversion. Dr. Waleed Alkhazrajy, a guest
representing the Group of Australian Society of Anaesthetists
Clinical Trainees (GASACT), provided valuable insight
into the benefits and problems it has experienced
from the change. The financial burden associated with
medical education continues to have a significant
impact on residents. The recent rise in the cost of
the boards was cited as a challenge. Also the inability
to refinance student loans has left many residents
with appreciably higher rates than could be obtained
in today’s market.
Upcoming Year
Based on the concerns expressed at the Resident Component
House of Delegates and the Residents’ Forum,
the Governing Council has an ambitious agenda for
the upcoming year. The Governing Council will continue
to be a strong advocate on behalf of all anesthesiology
residents. The council will be working with ASA on
many initiatives to improve resident education, representation
and quality of life. The Governing Council, however,
cannot succeed alone; we need your input and participation.
The Governing Council’s contact information
can be found on the Resident Component portion of
ASA’s Web site. The Governing Council is always
willing to answer questions or to assist if you have
any concerns throughout the year.
Please send any articles, article topics or ideas
to the editors at <residents.review@ASAhq.org>.
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Brian
N. Vaughan, M.D., is a CA-2 resident at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
North Carolina. |
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