Get Involved: Your Future Depends on It

In this, my first column for Psychiatric News, I would like to introduce myself and describe the position that I hold. As the member-in-training (MIT) trustee, I will be writing and editing this column for the coming year. I am a resident at Duke University in Durham, N.C., in my third year (of five) in the combined internal medicine-psychiatry program. I grew up in Maryland and went to the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those of you who voted for me in the election last year. Since then, I have been learning about the ins and outs of the Board of Trustees and APA as the MIT trustee-elect.

When I began working as the trustee-elect, I was quite confused about APA’s organization and how residents fit into it. In this article I will briefly discuss these topics, and I also hope to convey the message that resident and fellow participation is not as difficult as it may seem. (MIT refers to both residents and fellows.)

Many people ask what the MIT trustee position is about. Basically, I am one of several resident or fellow representatives who sit on the APA Board of Trustees; however, the MIT trustee is the only MIT on the Board able to cast a vote. This means that the MIT trustee position provides an excellent means for residents, fellows, and medical students to have a direct voice in the central governance of APA.

The other MITs on the Board are one representative from each of the APA fellowships (these are industry supported) and the chair of the Committee of Residents and Fellows (CORF).

In addition to the Board of Trustees, there are two other parts of APA’s governing structure: components (which includes committees, commissions, task forces, and special boards) and the Assembly. Resident leaders in these groups include the members of CORF and the Assembly Committee of Area Members-in-Training Representatives (ACOM). These positions are open to member residents and fellows interested in participating in APA, and the people working in these positions are all good sources of information about APA. Sign on to the residents’ list serve for up-to-date information about available positions and how to apply. This information is available through the residents’ section of the APA Web site at www.psych.org/resident. Other great ways to get involved are at the district branch level. (Each APA member is also a member of a local group, called a district branch. For example, I am a member of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association.)

Recently, issues involving MITs have been a high priority to the Board. Dr. Avram Mack, the outgoing MIT trustee, made a presentation to the Board at the March meeting about MIT membership concerns. Many residents and fellows are falling off the membership rolls; we are particularly vulnerable during the transition to early career psychiatrist (ECP). The Board is very concerned about this phenomenon and wants to know what can be done to support MITs so that they will want to remain members. Avram identified several areas in which APA could do a better job of attracting and retaining MIT members. These included outreach, mentoring, creating a Board preparation course, and improving the APA Web site. We remain very involved with this issue and welcome any comments or suggestions.

Another important issue involving residents and fellows is the restructuring of APA’s components. The committee in charge of making a plan for the restructuring was very open to input from the resident and fellow leaders present at the March meeting and requested that an MIT representative (Dr. Esther Dechant, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Fellowship representative to the Board of Trustees) participate in the committee’s meeting in March. Members of CORF and ACOM will also be working together to recommend a new structure specifically for changes in MIT representation on the Board and components and in the Assembly.

Regardless of whatever changes occur, there will continue to be multiple opportunities for MITs to be involved in the future of psychiatry through various APA positions. In my year as MIT trustee-elect, I have experienced an openness to MIT opinions that I did not expect from the senior APA leaders. I have also experienced a commitment to psychiatry and APA from other MIT leaders that is inspiring. It is a relief to know that psychiatry is destined to continue having great leaders in the future. I would encourage everyone who is interested to look into these MIT leadership positions.

I encourage all of you to get in touch with me via e-mail to share your perspectives and opinions. I will do my best to represent these to the Board of Trustees at our meetings or through our list serve.

Also, any member residents or fellows are welcome to be guest writers for this column. I can be reached at [email protected]. ▪