President-Elect
Aashish Didwania, MD, MBA

I am honored to be considered for the role of APDIM president, a position that deeply aligns with my passion for advancing internal medicine education.
As APDIM president, my priorities will include expanding and streamlining faculty development opportunities at APDIM meetings, course offerings, and asynchronous learning. This will ensure equitable access and measurable growth in educator competencies for both community- and university-based educators. I will continue to strengthen partnerships with our sister constituencies in AAIM and prioritize APDIM’s involvement in policy work that drives innovation and efficiency in medical education. I am excited to represent the collective APDIM community in collaboration with our many partner and regulatory societies, including ACGME, ECFMG, NRMP, and AAMC, among others.
My leadership philosophy reflects a deep commitment to service. I find parallels between being a primary care physician and a medical educator – while technical skills are important, my investment in people, whether patients, learners, or colleagues, is essential. I have worked to create spaces where learners are supported and I have invested in highly skilled, gifted individuals who may have been overlooked in the past, ensuring they feel empowered. Over time, I have evolved my intern skills of assessing “sick–not sick” and managing to-do lists to embracing a leadership style grounded in purpose-driven, effective project management and adaptability. Failures and challenges, such as the pandemic, have been humbling but have also fueled my commitment to the vital work of medical education. Whether addressing complex issues like unionization, pass/fail grading, or signaling, I strive to ensure that every decision prioritizes the holistic development of trainees and the health of our programs.
Over the past two decades, I have dedicated my career to medical education, serving as an Associate Program Director for six years, Residency Program Director for 12 years, and Vice Chair of Education at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Along the way, I have had the privilege of mentoring trainees and faculty, fostering innovation, and cultivating a culture that values inclusion, well-being, and excellence.
My involvement with APDIM spans my entire post-graduate career, beginning with my first meeting as a chief resident in 2005. I learned how to be a program director from this amazing community through national meetings, a network of APDIM colleagues and friendships, and, of course, the APDIM Digest! As I grew, I sought ways to contribute – serving AAIM as vice chair of the E-Learning Task Force, chairing the Faculty Development Initiative Task Force, and now completing my second year on the APDIM Council. I approached each experience with curiosity, reflection, and a practical focus on helping training programs perform at their best.
APDIM has always been a community that embraces collaboration and bold thinking, and I am eager to work alongside all of you to shape the future of internal medicine education. Thank you for considering me – I am excited about what we can achieve together.