Hot off the press: Apply to join a SAEM Committee

I often get asked the questions:

• How does one become successful in academics?
• How can I get to know other EM faculty across the country?
• How can I make a difference in academics?

I can only answer from my personal experience, and that is:

• Join a national organization such as SAEM, ACEP, AAEM, CORD, CDEM and become active in committee work.

Dr. Wendy Coates (Harbor-UCLA) first hooked me into the SAEM Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC) in 2001. I was straight out of residency. From there, I met many people with whom I still collaborate on various education and educational research projects.

Since then this committee has morphed into Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM), and I was able to help launch this new group purely because I just happened to "be around". For example, as I was just finishing an UMEC meeting at 4 pm, I was randomly invited by Dr. Dave Wald (Temple) and Dr. Dave Manthey (Wake Forest) to join a small informal dinner in 2007. This group eventually became the inaugural CDEM Executive Board in 2008 and I somehow became Vice-Chair. How? Still not exactly sure.

The (in)famous Le Cote Brasserie restaurant in
Boston where the idea of CDEM was first conceived.

Interestingly a lot of my successes happened because I serenditipously was "around" and seated at the table. If I were to write a book, the title would be - Winning by Sitting Down.

A few other examples:

• From the UMEC, I was asked to join the SAEM Education Research Task Force during 2002-05.
  
• From my collaborations with Dr. Jim Olsen (Wright State) on the Education Research TF, I got nominated and was elected to join the SAEM Nomination Committee during 2007-09. I got to meet some bigwig faculty on the SAEM Board of Directors.
  
• As the Chair of the UMEC in 2006-08, I was part of an off-shoot ED Overcrowding Task Force, where I met Dr. Brent Asplin (one of the gurus on this topic). Also I had the pleasure of finally working with one of my favorite people Dr. Philip Shayne (Emory) on a paper discussing ED crowding and the impact on education. It got me hooked into educational research assessing how crowding impacts bedside teaching.
  
• As an active member of CORD, I met Dr. Mary Jo Wagner (Synergy). At an ACEP meeting a few years ago, she asked me if I was interested in a new column for ACEP News on "Tricks of the Trade". Not sure why she asked me, but I know a great opportunity when it lands in your lap! I have been writing this column for the past 3 years now.

So you can see how things just snowball, just by your being around. I am a poor "schmoozer" and hate blatant networking. So if I can do it, you certainly can become active on the national level. It is truly amazing how many great opportunities are out there - just by occupying a seat at the table.

So, come and take a seat! SAEM just opened its online application, which is due Jan 22, 2010. Faculty and residents are also eligible to apply. Here are the committee choices:

The application is short and sweet. Take a look.