Growth and Renewal in 2023
As SEA President, I am grateful for the opportunity to share stories of our Societies growth and renewal that is underway in 2023.
The first half of 2023 has been tumultuous but leaves me filled with optimism for the future. On a personal note, I limped away from a serious car accident in at the end of January but was lucky enough to make a full recovery. Much like the pandemic itself, it left me battered, but not broken. I emerged more grateful and committed than ever to wellbeing, both for myself and our organization. I look around each day and see so much to be thankful for that I am determined to share my good fortune with others, starting here in SEA. Should you need any support, professional or personal, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Please indulge me now in some “greatest hits” and “coming attractions” that perhaps presage other articles but are meant to augment their impact and celebrate our successes and goals.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of our members, this year has already been tremendously productive for our Society, with more to come! Our commitment to and leadership in DEI, global outreach, and patient advocacy efforts remain strong, as does our official journal, the Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine (JEPM), each making important contributions to our anesthesiology community. All our committees have been productive, we will focus here on our new mentoring programs and ongoing outreach and member educational endeavors.
SEA is excited to offer a new career mentoring program that launched this summer. This program aims to develop dyads that work together to enhance career opportunities and awareness for participants. Experienced educational leaders have stepped forward to offer their wisdom as part of this program. Please consider joining to offer your experience or gain support in your career growth!
The SEA research committee has expanded our research mentoring program after successfully completing its pilot this summer. In its first year, this program saw tremendous success with both inaugural candidates preparing FAER grant submissions for the August cycle and producing multiple papers, abstracts, and workshops. The program expansion allows for new mentors and partnerships. When taken together with the Phillip Liu Awards which funds the SEAd research starter grants and the recent launch of SEAd Sprout awards for best trainee abstracts in research and curriculum, our efforts to support educational research are stronger than ever!
Our outreach efforts to other subspecialty societies are finding renewal with the return of live meetings. These efforts include providing workshops on topics in education during an existing meeting structure or offering access to SEA online sessions throughout the year. SEA is committed to enhancing access and understanding of educational research to our partners in other organizations. We are providing offerings for and exploring opportunities with several organizations including the Society for Geriatric Anesthesiology and the International Anesthesia Research Society. Please keep an eye out for other opportunities for SEA to help enhance education in partnership with other subspecialty societies.
The SEA commits to offer the best in educational offerings for our members and all educators. Our current lines of educational products are newsletters, podcasts, med ed journal clubs, and educational meetings. Our quarterly newsletters spearheaded by Michael Majewski and Arthur Calimaran, serve the vital function of uniting our community and informing us of the latest developments in our Society and specialty. We have many fabulous podcast offerings by Bryan Mahoney, David Stahl, and Glenn Woodworth, with more coming all the time – please check our site regularly for updates! The most recent and timely installation is a candid discussion on the interview process and has useful content for programs and applicants alike. The ongoing medical education journal club led by Deb Schwengel and Melissa Davidson offers a chance to review a wide range of medical education literature with peers and experts in the field. Several sessions over the past year have featured the authors themselves facilitating the discussion of the articles. In terms of educational offerings, our meetings committee, consistently produces world-class meetings. After SEAmlessly (couldn’t resist!) converting to virtual meetings during COVID, they are pleased to bring back in person opportunities to learn, network, and grow at our fall and spring meetings. Our uniquely workshop driven, cohesively themed meetings are punctuated for emphasis by thought leading plenary lecturers. With ample time for networking and exchange of ideas, SEA meetings provide the right mix of learning and bonding to energize us all to redouble our efforts as educational leaders and researchers. Please join us at our fall meeting in Chicago (November 2, one day prior to the SAAAPM on "Building Bridges, Building Teams: Challenges in Academic Medicine"), and our Spring meeting in Philadelphia (April 19-21- "The Science of Learning"). Please don't forget to register for our renowned Workshop on Teaching January 25-28 in Winter Park, Florida. It fills out fast and has been a launching pad for educational leaders for many years.
Throughout this year, we have worked hard to deliver value for our members, our specialty, our profession, and our patients. We will continue to do this by promoting collaboration, innovation, scholarship, and an inclusive community. This fall, we embark on a new strategic planning process aimed at keeping our organization healthy in and vital in the years to come- more on that as it unfolds. Thank you for your contributions as we Support Enrich and Advance education and those who teach!
