Over the past few years, APA has undergone major restructuring, redefining goals and policies. Additionally, our country's administration has begun pushing forward legislation that will have long-lasting repercussions on our health care system as a whole. During this time of change when policy is being drafted and implemented, to be your representative on a board that holds the authority to formulate and implement broad-reaching policies would be an honor and a privilege.
Diverse experiences have given me a sense of who I am and my desired role in life. When I was in the military, the informal expectation was to leave any position held and any unit assigned better than you found it. These important tenets were instilled in me then, and I strive to uphold them today. I endeavor to not only leave my program better than I found it, but as a resident and future psychiatrist, I am compelled to work to improve the experiences of all residents as well as positively impact our profession.
I am a candidate who is in a position to “hit the ground running.” From drafting organizational policy that affected thousands of trainees, to evaluating the feasibility of a tertiary care center's mass casualty plan, I have experience serving in a multitude of capacities. I have served in leadership positions in medical and nonmedical organizations, held numerous positions as an advocate for large groups of people on a broad variety of committees, and received extensive formal training in leadership and the fundamentals required to excel while working collaboratively on professional boards and committees. This experience and training will allow me to remain focused on representing your voice while contributing to our organization in a succinct, effective manner.
Should I be elected, I plan to focus on the following:
■ Working collaboratively with our Assembly MIT representatives to establish effective communication channels between residents, fellows, early career psychiatrists, and the APA leadership to both ensure our concerns are brought to the table and keep members apprised of relevant board activities.
■ Increasing opportunities for and the involvement of residents, fellows, and early career psychiatrists in APA.
■ Facilitating a spirit of collegial collaboration between specialties, particularly medicine and psychiatry.
■ Working to ensure psychiatrists are informed and have clear guidance on implementing an electronic health records system while avoiding breaches of confidentiality and violations of laws and suffering related penalties.
■ Ensuring psychiatrists have clear guidance on how to ethically interact with industry.
Primary Professional Activities and Sources of Income
Professional Activities
80%—Resident in general psychiatry, Georgetown University Hospital
20%—Staff psychiatrist, MedOptions (moonlighting)
Income
60%—Psychiatry resident
40%—Staff psychiatrist, MedOptions (moonlighting)
