APSA Newsletter - Phi Psi, 2008 Fall, Volume 3, No. 2

Editorial: MD-PhD—worth the investment?

Samuel F. Bakhoum, APSA Public Relations Committee, Dartmouth Medical School

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In his recent editorial (“MD-PhD Programs-A call for an accounting” JAMA Sept 10, 2008), Leon Rosenberg questions the added value gained from a combined MD-PhD program as opposed to the traditional medical education followed by research training. He cites the success of the large number of physician-scientists who were enrolled in traditional MD programs and have thereafter decided to pursue a career primarily devoted to medical research. This model has been irrefutably successful, particularly during the twentieth century. However, the realities of biomedical research in the twenty-first century pose some significant challenges to physicians without formal research training. For instance, they may encounter difficulties in successfully competing for research grants compared to  their physician colleagues who also hold a PhD degree.

From the President: APSA and women physician-scientists trainees

James Pauff, APSA President, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

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The September 10th, 2008 issue of JAMA focused much attention on medical education, and devoted two articles to the up-and-coming physician-scientist population and their training.  Mentioned in these articles were gender differences in the career choices made by recent graduates or by those who are nearing graduation from medical school.  Several articles in recent years have addressed this topic in the physician-scientist workforce, ranging from appearance in such journals as Nature to the most recent report of the Physician-Scientist Initiative from the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM).  With the prevalence of issues pertaining to women training as physician-scientists and the recent increase in attention given to those trainees that are nearing graduation, the APSA continues to explore ways in which we can make a positive impact on the training grounds for women pursuing careers

2nd Annual CITAC Conference

Billy Houde, Chair of CITAC Communications Committee, Université De Montreal

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The Clinician Investigator Trainee Association of Canada (CITAC) held its 2nd­ annual conference on September 24-25 in Toronto and lead to stimulating discussion regarding clinician investigator (CI) training in Canada.

The Journey

Lori Arviso Alvord, MD, Associate Dean for Student and Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Professor of Surgery and Psychiatry Dartmouth Medical School

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Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the APSA newsletter. I was asked to consider the challenges women and minorities face in medicine, particularly if they choose a career of a physician scientist, or a combination of both. My name is Lori Arviso Alvord. I was raised in a tiny town on the eastern edge of the Navajo reservation, and my father’s family is Navajo. Where I grew up, many Native children entered school speaking only Navajo, and came from families who still lived traditional lifestyles. Many families lived in homes without electricity or running water. It was rare for children to go on to college. My parent’s backgrounds were modest; neither had a professional degree. As I started in higher education, I faced three drawbacks: I was a woman, a very under-represented minority, and from the lower-middle class. Fortunately, when I entered Dartmouth College as a freshman, I did not perceive these identities as obstacles.

APSA Membership changes

Jonathan Kleen, APSA Membership Committee Chair, Dartmouth Medical School

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As my first contribution to the newsletter as Membership Chair, I was planning to utilize this column for an exercise of my astrological hobby, providing horoscopes for you all. However, around the time of this newsletter’s distribution, membership requirements for the APSA will experience a major modification – the implementation of dues. Most of you have likely heard wind of this change from your respective Institutional Representatives. Indeed, this piece of gossip is far from hearsay. Perhaps, however, you have not heard an extensive discussion of the reasons behind this development, one that impacts each of the APSA’s 1200 members. Therefore, despite the usefulness of a quarterly APSA horoscope, I hope you’ll agree that outlining the chief reasons for why a financial component is being implemented for membership is a bit more important.

More than just a facelift! APSA’s new website.

Susan Lee, APSA Public Relations Committee, University of Rochester School of Medicine

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In September of 2004, we were very excited about the launch of the APSA website.  This website was created with the intent of serving as an information and resource clearinghouse.  Over the years, we have attempted to consolidate information from various resources on the World Wide Web, as well as provide additional content.  To date, we have had over 88,000 unique visitors to the site, including visits from all 52 US states and territories, and 118 other countries/territories.  In keeping up with the increased traffic on the site, and the growth of our organization, many individuals have been working intently over the past year on the development of the new APSA website.

Yes SHE can, but...

Jennifer M. Kwan* and Mercedes J. Szpunar†, * APSA Institutional Representative of University of Illinois College of Medicine & † APSA Instituational Representative of University of Rochester, New York

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Maybe she doesn’t want to. Maybe she wants something different from her career. Maybe she doesn’t care for leadership positions. Maybe it is too hard to balance family and career responsibilities. Maybe the environment is too unwelcoming. These are just some of the proposed reasons that swirl around the leaky pipeline phenomenon pertaining to women in medicine.

Leadership Retreat Review

Kofi Mensah, APSA Co-chair of the Public Relations Committee, University of Rochester School of Medicine

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The APSA Executive Council and Board of Directors met recently in Chicago, Illinois to outline the goals for the organization in the coming year.  The APSA Leadership Retreat, which was held at the Fairmont Hotel on Sunday September 28th, was the first time the newly elected and appointed APSA leadership had met face-to-face since the Annual Meeting in April.

Brains and beauty: Interview of a woman physician-scientist

Dionisia Quiroga, APSA Public Relations Committee, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

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Going off the women in medicine theme of this issue, we interviewed a current female physician scientist student to see what it was like to be in her shoes. Stacie Demel, PhD is a fifth year student in the Michigan State University Physician-Scientist Training Program. Having just completed her PhD in neuroscience this summer, she is now doing her clerkship at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, MI and will have her DO degree by May 2010. In addition, Stacie is the new vice-chair of the APSA membership committee.

Walking out on the boys—Book Review

Kimberly Gannon, APSA Co-chair of the Public Relations Committee, University of Mississippi Medical Center

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Frances Conley’s book “Walking Out on the Boys” briefly details her journey through medical school, but focuses more intently on the struggles that she faced as the only female neurosurgeon at Stanford University. She received special attention from her male counterparts, but not necessarily the type of collegial respect one would hope. Her book exposes many of the awkward positions, and uncalled for comments that she faced in her career. While she was an excellent surgeon, she was consistently looked down upon in her department, and passed over for promotion due to her gender and hospital politics. Men, harassing pigs in some instances, received the promotions and positions for which she very well may have been better suited. She was pushed out of the university hospital, and shuttled over to the VA center; her lab space was limited, and she was denied access to interviewing candidates for residency and faculty positions.