ASP is the only professional organization that focuses specifically on providing services, training, and educational opportunities for leaders of specialty internal medicine divisions in addition to advocating on their behalf. This focus has allowed ASP to take tremendous strides in promoting specialty internal medicine, serving the needs of specialty division chiefs and fellowship training programs directors, and creating innovative activities, programs, and initiatives.

ASP is the leading organization devoted to specialty internal medicine training issues. ASP has been instrumental in such initiatives as influencing J-1 visa policies, leading an effort to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs health research program, bringing geriatrics to the forefront of specialty internal medicine, and implementing an electronic application system which has resulted in the enrollment of nearly all internal medicine specialties in ERAS Fellowships. In the future, ASP plans to address many emerging topics such as the part-time workforce in departments of internal medicine and an in-training exam for fellows.

Member Services

• Online Resources: ASP offers several online resources to its members. The ASP website contains an online membership directory, meeting material, access to the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Job Bank, an archive of publications including Academic Internal Medicine Insight (the alliance’s quarterly newsletter), and resources for division leaders.
  
  
• Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Job Bank: Recruitment is an important issue for specialty leaders in departments of internal medicine. Through the AAIM Job Bank, ASP provides its members a forum to disseminate and view information about open positions (clinical, educational, research, and administrative) in their divisions. Information about how to post and view announcements is available at www.im.org.
  
  
• ERAS Fellowships: ASP has worked diligently to extend Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) application services to fellowships. As an evolving contribution to fellowships across the academic internal medicine industry, this electronic service provides a more seamless and efficient application process that benefits fellowship directors, staff, and residents.
  
  
• Educational Programs: ASP is involved in a multitude of activities designed to help specialty divisions meet their educational, research, and clinical care missions. ASP is working with the Residency Review Committee for Internal Medicine and other stakeholder organizations to assess the implementation of the new requirements for fellowship accreditation. To support junior faculty, the association has launched the T. Franklin Williams Scholars Program, a collaborative program to provide $150,000 over two years to specialty faculty interested in the geriatric aspects of their specialties.
  
  
• Public Policy: ASP represents academic internal medicine before the executive and legislative branches of the US government. ASP generates policy, tracks legislative and regulatory developments, and advocates for issues of importance to specialty divisions. These issues include Medicare policy on graduate medical education, Department of Veterans Affairs medical education and health research funding, National Institutes of Health support for research training, and immigration policy for foreign physicians-in-training.

Executive Leadership Program 

Academic medicine’s changing environment requires physicians to have an array of management and leadership skills. The association, working through AAIM, also provides an executive leadership program once a year. The six-day program provides an opportunity for department chairs, residency and fellowship program directors, division chiefs, clerkship directors, and department administrators to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for administrative success. Using an interactive, case-based method of instruction, the program covers: financial control systems and change implementation; leadership and change management; strategy formulation and planning; cost analysis and operations management; and organizational design and leadership.

Publications 

• Academic Internal Medicine Insight: A quarterly publication, this newsletter provides members information about pertinent issues related to department of internal medicine faculty and staff.
  
  
• A Toolkit for Internal Medicine Education Programs: Produced in conjunction with the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicne (APDIM), this manual is a collection of articles and essays designed to help guide both the novice and experienced fellowship program director.
  
  
• AAIM Connection: Serving as the weekly voice of the alliance, AAIM Connection highlights current activities and initiatives. AAIM Connection updates ASP members on how events “inside the Beltway” affect academic internal medicine, and provides other policy, meetings, and member services updates, as well as links members to new features on the alliance website.

Committees

ASP offers many opportunities for members to aid the association in completing its mission of promoting specialty medicine as a career discipline. Through structured committees, the association is able to influence policy initiatives, organize and execute professional development activities, and improve member benefits. ASP committees include the education committee, geriatrics committee, and member services committee.

Affiliations

• Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM): ASP continues to strengthen academic medicine by participating in Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM). The members of this organization are the five academically focused internal medicine organizations: ASP, the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM), APDIM, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine, and the Administrators of Internal Medicine. AAIM is dedicated to addressing issues faced by the internal medicine community and is actively developing numerous programs, including the AAIM Executive Leadership Program and Academic Internal Medicine Week.
  
  
• Partnerships with Specialty Societies: ASP has developed strong working relationships with the internal medicine specialty society community. Through ASP Societal Membership, organizations representing the specialty internal medicine community have an opportunity to receive ASP products and publications for their members and staff. Currently, 15 societies are members of ASP; the association also has less formal relationships with many other organizations. These strong relationships have allowed the community to work together on issues such as geriatrics, physician workforce, and accreditation.