Help Influence Your Profession’s Future!

APA’s Board of Trustees is the primary policy-making body of the organization, responsible for everything from the details of budget approval to determining APA’s long-term strategic goals. One of the most exciting ways to get involved in APA leadership as a resident or fellow is in the resident-fellow member (RFM) trustee position, which is my current role in the organization.

The RFM trustee is elected by APA’s resident-fellow members during the national elections held each January and serves a two-year term—the first year as a nonvoting trustee-elect and the second as a full voting member of the Board. I am now a few months into my year as RFM trustee and can attest that being on the Board has been one of the most exciting and rewarding things I have done in the course of my psychiatry training.

As the RFM trustee and trustee-elect, I have attended each of the Board of Trustees meetings (most years there are five meetings, held in the Washington, D.C., area and at the APA annual meeting). I have the privilege of serving as the voice for residents and fellows across the United States and Canada, bringing our unique perspective on issues to the table for the benefit of all of APA. I also facilitate communication from the Board to RFMs.

In addition to attending the formal Board meetings, I join the Assembly Committee of Residents and Fellows on monthly conference calls to learn what is happening at the Assembly and to help transmit information from the Board to the committee. I am also part of the leadership of the Resident-Fellow Member Caucus, which is a special-interest group open to all interested RFMs who belong to APA. The caucus provides an opportunity to bring APA’s attention to issues affecting RFMs and is a venue for the various groups of RFM leadership to communicate better with each other and with other RFMs. At the APA annual meeting, I help to plan and coordinate the RFM Center and various events within the RFM track of sessions.

This might sound like a lot of responsibilities, and at times it certainly is. But the effort is absolutely worthwhile! This role has given me incredible opportunities. I have the chance to speak with leaders at every level of the organization on a regular basis, from other RFMs across the country all the way up to the executive-level officers of the Board and staff, and to learn from them. I was able to participate in a communications survey that will help change how the organization relates to its members and the public. I have travelled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Advocacy Leadership Conference and to Indianapolis to speak with a group of RFMs and early career psychiatrists (ECPs) about becoming advocates for their profession and patients.

And I also have to mention that as a result of being in this position, I have made friends with amazing RFMs and ECPs who share my passion for psychiatry and my drive to advance the field through engagement with APA and who never fail to inspire me. I’ve been lucky enough to work with them on multiple projects and to feel that we are contributing something important to the organization, even so early in our careers. This opportunity has been phenomenally rewarding.

Are you excited yet? If so, I strongly encourage you to apply to be a candidate for the RFM trustee-elect position. The nomination period is open until Wednesday, October 1, and the only requirements are that you are an APA member and will be in training (residency or fellowship) for the duration of your term.

For additional information about becoming a candidate for this Board position, visit the APA National Elections or APA Residents’ Leadership Opportunities sections on the APA website.

Inquiries and nomination materials can be sent to [email protected]. If you have any questions about the experience of being the RFM trustee, please email me at [email protected]. ■