Blogs

AAIM Member Spotlight

Kelly Spielmann, MS, C-TAGME

Administrative Manager,
Residency Training Program
Hofstra Northwell Program in Internal Medicine

How long have you been a member of AAIM?

Since 2011, when I started in internal medicine as a program coordinator at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

Describe your typical day?

Every day is different. Managing a residency program requires you to wear a lot of different hats, typically all at the same exact time. I feel like each day runs on two different tracks, the things that I set out to do (making sure that we do everything we are supposed to remain accredited) and all the things that get thrown at you (housing issues, lab coat issues, etc.).

What is your favorite part of the job?

Being a part of the journey of so many amazing physicians. I have developed relationships with so many incredible people. Not only do we get to watch them advance in their medical careers, but we also get to watch them reach so many precious milestones (no pun intended) in their personal lives, such as getting married, starting families, purchasing a home.

How has the AAIM membership been of value to you and your career?

Being a member of the AAIM has been invaluable to me and my career. Joining a committee and being a member of the Program Administrators Advisory Council (PAAC) has given me the privilege of meeting the most wonderful Program Administrators who have been in their roles for years and have a tremendous amount of knowledge and insight. The things that I have learned from them and the support that I have received is truly priceless. I feel far more engaged in my job because of my AAIM membership.

What's your favorite moment of your career so far?

I think that my favorite moment was the first time I had a workshop accepted at Spring APDIM. When we started using milestones to evaluate our residents semiannually, I was charged with putting together a dashboard for our residents. I worked very hard putting this together and submitted it as a workshop. It was an incredibly exciting moment to have that workshop accepted.

What was your childhood dream job?

Growing up I wanted to be a teacher. I was really fortunate to have such wonderful teachers throughout the years that made me love to learn. I have such respect for all teachers as it is not an easy job to both impart knowledge as well as captivate learners. While I may not have a job as a teacher in a school, my job allows me to share my knowledge through presentations at conferences.

How do you spend your free time?

I spend my free time with my husband and 7-year old daughter. We share a love for animals, so we also spend a lot of time with what we like to call the “Spielmann Family Zoo” which includes our dog Charlie, our cats Trixie and Alfie, and our hamster Cornelius.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I don’t consider my day complete without a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos at 2:15 pm and I have to eat them with a fork.