Elections - ASP

Thank you for considering my candidacy for the position of President of APDIM.  I have served as an internal medicine program director for the past 17 years, the first seven with MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital and the last ten with the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus.  Prior to that, I was an Associate Program Director at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore for 15 years.  I greatly enjoy working with and learning from residents, and I cannot envision myself doing anything else.  

I have been an APDIM member since 1991, and over those three decades, APDIM became my professional home.  I have developed a deep-rooted appreciation for the organization and connection with its members.  I harbor tremendous respect and admiration for past APDIM Presidents, and it is with trepidation and humility that I present myself as a candidate for this career-defining position.  

Regarding my background, I enjoy teaching in a small-sized program, where I can develop meaningful and longstanding relationships with each resident and faculty member.  Indeed, I believe this is the most rewarding and inspiring aspect of what we all do.  Because I am based in a community hospital setting, there is a need to assume diverse roles and responsibilities.  I give didactic lectures, precept residents in ambulatory clinic, teach on the inpatient wards, preside over morning report, and implement didactic curricula.  I lead Journal Club, Morbidity & Mortality Conference, and Ambulatory Conference.  I annually organize new intern orientation, resident retreats, career development workshops, and Board review sessions.  I oversee skills training in hand-offs, communications, and documentation.  I feel confident in these different roles because of what I have learned over my career from my APDIM colleagues.   

Like many of you, I take particular pride in mentoring chief residents and faculty in their teaching and leadership skills.  Some have become clinician educators whose career trajectory will far surpass mine.  I acknowledge that particular threshold is not a high bar.

I have engaged in some scholarly endeavors in medical education, all of which were accomplished in collaboration with brilliant and supportive colleagues from APDIM, and I am forever in their debt.  By serving as a member of the APDIM community, I have developed lifelong friendships and enriching professional relationships.  I would bring that same approach to the presidency; I value the experience and collective wisdom of my APDIM colleagues.  I have long harbored the view that APDIM is a uniquely supportive and dynamic community, that members would give the shirts off their backs to help other members in need.  I know; I have a large collection of shirts from APDIM members over the years.  It is time for me to share some shirts of my own.  I would strive to engender and promote that sense of community and mutual support of our priorities, which is centered around our learners.  My hope is that we as a community would nurture and promote the growth of younger members, as the organization did for me decades ago.