Dear Colleague,
As you well know, the pathway to becoming a physician is long and arduous. The road is full of obstacles and challenges to overcome. These challenges begin even before we get into medical school and will no doubt continue until the day we retire. I ask you to reflect upon your training thus far, and then think about what the future holds. Are you ready? Has your training met all your needs thus far? Surprisingly, the answer might be no.
Does this mean that we as physicians are incompetent? Obviously, the answer to this is no. What is needed, however, is a transformation in the way physicians are trained so that they are better prepared to meet the changing needs of our health care system. As services and technologies explode, patients? expectations change, and finances grow ever tighter, our current system of medical education is becoming antiquated and out of date. Quality of care may be suffering as a result. In fact, when referring to quality, the Institute of Medicine has noted that, ?Quality problems are occurring in the hands of health professionals highly dedicated to doing a good job, but working within a system that does not adequately prepare them, or support them once they are in practice, to achieve the best for their patients.?1
A New Initiative
It is with this in mind that the American Medical Association (AMA) recently created the Initiative to Transform Medical Education (ITME). The aim of ITME is to promote excellence in patient care by reforming the medical education and training system across the continuum, from premedical preparation through the continued education of practicing physicians. The core principle underlying this initiative is that safe, quality medical care is dependent upon a well-educated, diverse physician workforce that is prepared to meet the challenges of the health care system for the greater benefit of all patients and society.
The first phase of ITME began when a group of interested stakeholders convened in Chicago, Illinois, in late 2005 for the ITME Working Conference. The participants in this working group represented consumer groups and the public, provider organizations, purchasers, federal agencies, and others. The participants identified the strengths and gaps in the preparation of physicians with regards to their ability to interact with patients, function within the health care system, and act as caring professionals in the society. A formal draft of the report detailing the summary findings of the meeting has been sent to meeting participants for review and will be widely circulated once the review is completed. The findings of this report will then form the basis for the next phase of ITME.
In the second phase of ITME, participants will work together to develop strategies and implementation plans to address those gaps in preparation and physician education that were identified during this first working meeting. Ultimately, the AMA, through ITME, will collaborate with a broad array of stakeholders to advocate for needed policy changes and subsequently to implement the recommended changes. Funding streams will be identified, and outcomes of these interventions will ultimately be studied.
The AMA-RFS Annual Meeting in June
What do you think can be done to improve the medical education system to meet the needs of our patients and society? How can the physician workforce be optimally prepared to function within the changing health care system? These questions and more will be addressed during an educational session of the AMA-Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) Annual Meeting. I invite you to attend the assembly meeting from June 8-10, in Chicago, Illinois, and share your perspective on how to achieve the ITME goals. Attendance is open to any AMA member and registration for the meeting can be found at the AMA-RFS Web site (www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/15.html). Many other important and educational events are scheduled to take place as well.
I look forward to meeting you in Chicago and hearing your thoughts and ideas.
Kelly J. Caverzagie, MD
Vice-Chair
AMA Resident and Fellow Section
Member, Leadership Group
AMA Initiative to Transform Medical Education
Reference
1. Greiner AC, Knebel E, eds. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2003.
| American Medical Association-Resident and Fellow Section, 2005-2006 Governing Council |
Joe Craft III, MD, Chair
Sunny Ramchandani, MD,
MPH, Chair-Elect
Kelly Caverzagie, MD, Vice Chair
Douglas Che Miller, MD, Secretary
David Rosman, MD, Delegate
Adam Levine, MD, Alternate Delegate
Alexander Llanos, MD, Member- at-Large
Michelle Nichols, MD, Member- at-Large
Samantha Cramoy, MD, Resident Trustee
Julie Snelling, Director
Department of Resident and Fellow Services | ?Code Blue? is prepared by the Resident and Fellow Section of the AMA. Unless specifically indicated, its articles and opinions do not necessarily reflect the policy of the AMA or the opinions of the editors or the publisher of Resident & Staff Physician. This news?letter is contained in Resident & Staff Physician solely as a service to residents. The journal is not in any way involved in deciding the content of ?Code Blue.? All questions, suggestions, or requests for additional information should be sent to the AMA Department of Resident and Fellow Services, 515 North State Street, Chicago, IL 60610, or phone 312/464-4751. The American Medical Association-Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) is this nation?s strongest voice for residents and their patients. Visit our Web page at www.ama-assn.org/gorfs. To join or renew your membership, call the AMA-RFS at 800/AMA-3211. |
