News for Academic Physicians

New video provides snapshot of AMA-SMS

Want to learn more about the AMA Section on Medical Schools (SMS) in about 90 seconds? A new YouTube video featuring AMA-SMS Chair Maria Savoia, MD, highlights the section's role in serving as the voice of academic medicine to the AMA House of Delegates.

The video summarizes Dr. Savoia's presentation to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) at its November 2012 meeting. "The Section on Medical Schools is really the place for academic physicians to have a voice in AMA policy," Dr. Savoia says.

Apply by Feb. 4 for AMA-SMS leadership positions

The AMA Section on Medical Schools (SMS) Governing Council is looking to fill several open positions for 2013–2014: chair-elect and three at-large member slots.

The chair-elect serves for one year, succeeds to the office of chair for one year and then becomes immediate past chair for one year. At-large members are elected annually, and no member can serve for more than three one-year terms.

Governing council members are selected by the AMA-SMS Nominating Subcommittee and elected by the section representatives attending the section's June meeting, held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Elected members assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting and serve until the conclusion of the next Annual Meeting.

The AMA-SMS Governing Council serves as the direct communication link between the AMA and the section's representatives and is responsible for the section's programs and activities. The council meets, face-to-face, three times a year—in June during the Annual Meeting and twice in November, during the Association of American Medical Colleges Annual Meeting and during the Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. The council also holds monthly conference calls.

To apply for any of the open AMA-SMS Governing Council seats or for more information, contact Fred Donini-Lenhoff of the AMA via email or at (312) 464-4635. Also, visit the AMA-SMS Web page for more details.

Medical student, resident mistreatment subject of AMA-SMS meeting session

The topic of medical student mistreatment vis-à-vis graduate medical education took center stage as part of an education session held in November during the AMA Section on Medical Schools Interim Meeting. Four presenters provided their own viewpoints on the subject, including Maya Babu, MD, a neurological surgery resident at Mayo Clinic.

"In residency education, abuse is in the eye of the beholder, and there are often shades of gray versus black and white," Dr. Babu said. "Also, there are different dynamics for different fields. Resident learning requires some level of stress and challenge to prepare trainees for the unsupervised practice of medicine.

"Being ‘put on the spot' by an attending can be seen as threatening or as a learning experience. Handling that stress is good when you're still in a learning situation vs. a practice situation. The question is, when do you respond, and when do you let it go?"

Attendees also heard an introduction to the University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine and a session about the AMA's work to accelerate change in medical education, one of its three strategic focus areas.

View a summary of the education sessions as well as a meeting summary.