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The ASA Medical Student Component Governing Council invites you to participate in a multi-week Pain and Resiliency Series which will take place throughout March 2025 and April 2025. Each week physician leaders and researchers will share their expertise and insights in small group webinars on the following key themes within Pain Medicine: Advocacy, Research, Career Pathways, Resiliency, Patient Engagement and Service.
At the end of each session, participants will have the opportunity to network with guest speakers. Please note that spots are limited, so we encourage you to be mindful of this when signing up. If you are no longer able to attend, please notify the MSCGC as soon as possible so we can offer your spot to someone else.
At the conclusion of this series, please join us for a special National Take Back Day service event. Each year, the Drug Enforcement Agency hosts a Take Back Day at the end of April, in coordination with local law enforcement. This is a fantastic opportunity to not only partner with your local communities but also practice advocacy and provide education on topics such as medication safety, non-medication pain management, and resiliency. The Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG) with the most volunteers will be recognized at the upcoming ASA Medical Student Component House of Delegates Session on Sunday, 10/12/2025 in San Antonio, TX.
Send in your AIG Event RSVP here!
Advocacy: We will kick off the Series by expanding our horizons on the importance of advocacy within Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology in general. Panelists will share their unique pathways and speak to their commitment to improving patient outcomes through a multi-pronged approach. We will also learn about various Special Interest Groups and practical ways medical students can get involved now. We hope this panel will help us gain insight into the various avenues available and inspire us to incorporate advocacy in our lives now and as future anesthesiologists!
Date & Time of Webinar: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time
View the Advocacy Webinar Recording here.
Follow Up Actions: Join the ASA, your state component, or specialty society to support advocacy efforts in the field of anesthesia
Research: Advocacy and Research go hand-in-hand and together can drive powerful, positive change within Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology. Students can expect to learn about the critical role that research plays in influencing healthcare policy and patient safety. We will also learn about various research opportunities available to early-career trainees through the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER), highlighting how early involvement in research can shape your career. We hope this presentation will demonstrate how engaging in research not only advances knowledge but also serves as a key avenue of advocacy, empowering us to improve patient care and create systemic change.
Date & Time of Webinar: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Central Time
View the Research Webinar Recording here.
Follow Up Actions: Explore ways to get involved in research and look into different pathways to patient advocacy through research.
Career Pathways: Ever wonder what it’s like to be a Pain Medicine doc? This session will de-mystify and introduce medical students to exciting fellowship opportunities in pain medicine, cancer pain, pediatric pain, and regional pain medicine. Students will learn how an anesthesia background is invaluable in these specialties and play a vital role in improving patient care and safety. This session will clarify what these subspecialties involve and the fellowship application process. We hope your curiosity is piqued by the variety available within Pain Medicine!
Date & Time of Webinar: Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Central Time
Register for the Career Pathways Webinar here.
Follow Up Actions: Explore subspecialties you are interested in by checking out Special Interest Groups (SIGs) offered by ASA and ASRA, and set up an informational interview.
Resiliency: True advocacy and quality care must start with self-reflection and addressing our own challenges. We will learn about how to handle personal failure, regulate our emotions, and prevent burnout. With these lessons, we can foster the empathy and compassion necessary to provide the utmost care for diverse patient populations, whether in the perioperative or pain clinic setting. Only by caring for ourselves can we truly provide the highest level of care to others, and we hope this session will help shape a generation of compassionate future anesthesiologists.
Date & Time of Webinar: April 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Central Time
Register for the Resiliency Webinar here.
Follow Up Actions: Share 1 tip for resiliency with someone in your life, share something you appreciate about a co-worker/healthcare team-member, reflect on a time you faced failure and share those lessons with someone in your life and reach out to someone you haven't checked in with for a while to see how they are doing.
Patient Engagement: By attending this session, we are putting a lens on engaging patients with refractory chronic pain in clinic and perioperative settings. Our goals in discussing this wide reaching topic include reducing stigma of substance use disorder and physician substance use, learning tools to engage in honest conversation with patients about chronic pain drugs, and identifying and overcoming internal biases that can be formed around chronic pain.
Date & Time of Webinar: Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Central Time
Register for the Patient Engagement Webinar here.
Service: We will celebrate the end of the Series by joining together and serving our local communities across the nation! The National Take Back Event will offer us the opportunity to put advocacy into practice and engage directly with our patient populations to promote substance use awareness and patient safety. In collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Agency and your local law enforcement leaders, you and your AIGs will collect medications and educate the community on topics such as medication safety, non-medication pain management, and substance use disorder stigma. We’re excited about the chance to collaborate, both near and far, in advocating for our patients and seeing the broader impact of anesthesiology. View the step-by-step guide to set up your event below.
Reach Out to Your Local Police Department: Begin by contacting your local law enforcement agency or sheriff’s department. Many police departments have an established partnership with the DEA for this event or have a Community Engagement Officer you could collaborate with.
Inquire About Their DEA Take Back Plan: Ask if they are planning a DEA-sponsored event on National Take Back Day. If they have a system or plan in place, identify ways you can come alongside to enhance by providing volunteers, patient education, educational handouts, free health screenings, or any additional activities they might find valuable. If no plan is in place, you may share about this DEA event and offer to identify local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, places of worship, and community centers that would be willing to host your booth set-up.
Provide Event Details: Solidify the time, location, and purpose of the event. Make sure to express your goal of not only assisting in collecting medications but also providing education on safe medication practices, non-medication pain management options, substance use stigma, naloxone training, etc. You can leverage branded, formalized DEA materials that are available online.
Engage Related Local Groups: Reach out to other community organizations focused on public health, substance abuse prevention, or addiction recovery. Invite them to participate by providing resources or offering additional activities like health screenings, substance use education, or giveaways (e.g., naloxone kits).
Collaborate on Resources: Coordinate with these groups to see if they have any materials, volunteers, or additional resources that could be useful, such as pamphlets on medication safety, pain management alternatives, or addiction treatment options.
Event Materials: Coordinate the procurement of necessary supplies for the event. Some items to consider include:
Take Back Boxes: Ensure that proper boxes are available for safe disposal of medications.
Tents or Canopies: Reserve a tent or canopy to provide shelter for volunteers and attendees.
Chairs and Tables: Secure chairs and tables for volunteers, educational materials, and any other setup you plan to have.
Signage: Create clear signage directing attendees to the take back station and informing them about the event and educational opportunities.
Create Educational Materials: Collaborate with your team to create pamphlets or flyers, or use premade resources from OPEN that educate the community on:
Medication Safety: Explain the importance of proper disposal of unused medications to prevent misuse and protect the environment.
Non-Medication Pain Management: Highlight alternative treatments and strategies for managing pain without medications.
Naloxone and Overdose Prevention: Offer training materials on naloxone use and educate the public on its life-saving potential.
Substance Use Stigma: Address the stigma surrounding substance use and emphasize the importance of compassion in addiction recovery.
Health Screenings: If possible, partner with local health organizations or medical students to offer basic health screenings such as blood pressure checks, cholesterol testing, or diabetes screening.
Raffles or Giveaways: Consider organizing a raffle or offering small giveaways as a thank you for participating in the event, such as branded educational materials, reusable bags, or other community-focused items.
Set Up Early: Arrive at the event location early to set up tents, chairs, tables, signage, and take back boxes.
Assign Roles: Have volunteers assigned to various tasks such as assisting with medication collection, providing educational information, answering questions, and promoting community engagement.
Promote Advocacy: Be prepared to discuss the role of anesthesiologists in patient safety, including safe pain management practices and how advocating for better care can reduce the risk of medication misuse.
Thank You Notes: Send a thank-you note or email to all partners, volunteers, and community organizations that helped make the event a success.
Share on Social Media: Make social media posts about your event and tag @ASALifeline and use #MSCGC
Report Participation: Document the success of the event, including the number of medications collected, educational interactions, and any notable community feedback or participation.
Contact the MSC Governing Council: Reach out to [email protected] with the number of volunteers you had participate in your event to be considered for recognition at the 2025 ASA Medical Student Component House of Delegates Session taking place in San Antonio, TX.
Thank you again for your dedication and advocacy! By collaborating with law enforcement and local organizations, you will help ensure this event is a great success. If you need any assistance or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected].
Date of last update: April 18, 2025
