The SEA Spring meeting in Louisville, Kentucky was memorable, not only for the fantastic view of the annual “Thunder Over Louisville” airshow and fireworks from the top of the hotel, but also for the keynote address given by Dr. Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP, Chief Executive Officer, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). I must confess to being a little wary going into the presentation, as I wondered what new checkboxes he would have in store for us. I could not have been more wrong.

Dr. Nasca gave an engaging and scholarly account of the philosophical traditions underpinning the American conceptualization of both Medicine as a Profession, and Professionalism within the practice of medicine. At its heart, this involves a commitment to scientific and clinical competence and altruism. Dr. Nasca focused on Professional Identity Formation and the challenge of inculcating not only professional behavior, but internalizing a set of professional values in our trainees. This socialization into the profession is described in detail by Cruess and Cruess (Acad. Med. 2014), and results in the individual “thinking, acting, and feeling like a physician.”  He emphasized that this transformation can take place only in a healthy educational environment, and ended in a rousing call to arms:

A Career Opportunity for Anesthesia Educators

When we consider during our careers whether or not to pursue additional training, we may weigh benefits such as career advancement and professional gratification against the investment of time and money. I recently earned the Certificate for Professionals in Patient Safety (CPPS), offered by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF). In my estimation, the CPPS is a good investment, and I would like to share how it may help advance your professional goals.

The CPPS was created to help health care professionals achieve proficiency in patient safety through a common language and skills development. It is targeted not just to physicians of all specialties, but also to nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare executives. Since its creation, more than 2,000 healthcare professionals have obtained CPPS certification. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has recently endorsed the effort by partnering with the IHI/NPSF to offer ASA members a 10% discount on coursework and examination fees.