s Chair of ASA’s Committee on Residents and Medical Students, I have been fortunate to participate in a truly exciting time with respect to the two sectors of our membership that represent the future of our organization.

I had the honor of serving on the Resident Component Governing Council several years ago (1991-93), shortly after the Resident Component began convening a House of Delegates as a forum in which anesthesiology residents from around the nation could meet, discuss issues of common interest and bring items forward to ASA for its deliberation and action. Since those early days, I have watched a number of talented and hardworking resident leaders skillfully navigate ASA’s waters and address countless issues that affect not only anesthesiology residents but all practicing anesthesiologists as well. The leadership of ASA’s Resident Component has performed at such a high level that the Committee on Residents and Medical Students has taken care to primarily facilitate their efforts when needed, without hindering their progress.

In 1998, ASA’s House of Delegates approved a new category of membership within ASA, the Medical Student member category. Since its inception, this member category has enjoyed steady increases in its size. The table below depicts the growth since 1999.

During his term as ASA President in 2004, Roger W. Litwiller, M.D., gave a presentation to a group of medical students at the Postgraduate Assembly in New York. Among the students in attendance were Emmett E. Whitaker and Cheri A. Camacho, who were ASA Medical Student members from the University of Rochester. They asked Dr. Litwiller about the possibility of ASA providing an opportunity for its medical student members to meet in conjunction with the ASA Annual Meeting. At the ASA House of Delegates meeting in 2004, a Medical Student Delegation (MSD) was approved to meet in conjunction with the Resident Component meeting. Brian N. Vaughan, M.D., who was Chair of the Resident Component at that time, was instrumental in the establishment of the initial MSD.

At the 2005 Annual Meeting, the inaugural MSD meeting was held. A total of 35 medical students from around the United States attended the meeting. The MSD meeting included discussions about state involvement, resources for medical students interested in anesthesiology and the development of a medical student “Guide to the Specialty.”

With the 2006 Annual Meeting fast approaching, ASA is preparing for its second MSD House of Delegates meeting. Students from at least 64 osteopathic and allopathic medical schools will be represented. An overview of the MSD, the selection of the MSD Governing Council members, and an overview of the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research Medical Student Research Fellowship are among the items to be discussed. If you are a medical student, I urge you to attend if you are able. The Medical Student Delegation House of Delegates will meet on Saturday, October 14, from 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at McCormick Place. Additional details about this and other MSD activities are posted to the MSD Web site at <www.ASAhq.org/msd>.

We all recall the financial constraints faced by medical students. Coming up with the funds to travel to and attend the MSD is a challenge that is likely insurmountable for many medical students. Thus it is incumbent upon those anesthesiologists who are involved with teaching medical students or who are involved with their state component society to provide financial assistance to interested medical students so they can attend the MSD. A number of anesthesiology residency directors have provided support for their medical students to attend the initial MSD meetings. Going forward, I urge all anesthesiology residency program directors to establish a process to support at least one medical student from their institutions to attend the MSD meeting.

The Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists is sponsoring one of Ohio’s medical student members to attend the 2006 MSD in Chicago. I challenge all state component societies that have not already done so to implement a process allowing each of them to sponsor at least one medical student to attend the 2007 ASA MSD. For a relatively small investment, residency programs and component societies can help to foster active involvement in the specialty by our future anesthesiologists.

If you would like more information on how you can be involved in the MSD, please contact the current MSD chair, Mark A. Hoeft <mhoeft@uvm.edu>, or visit the MSD’s new Web site <www.ASAhq.org/msd>.

ASA Recognizes Selected Medical Students
A Certificate of Recognition Award is available for medical students who demonstrate exceptional interest in the medical specialty of anesthesiology. Upon nomination by an anesthesiologist familiar with the student’s involvement in a clinical and/or research setting, ASA will bestow upon the student a Certificate of Recognition, which includes complimentary medical student membership in ASA for one year. For more information about this program, please contact me at <ronlharter@columbus.rr.com>.

Ronald L. Harter, M.D., is Staff Anesthesiologist, Mt. Carmel Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.