An Interview with Dr. Michael P. Hofkamp, M.D.
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology
Baylor College of Medicine
Question: For the members that do not yet know you, please tell me a little bit about where you came from & then how you came to join the Society for Education in Anesthesia?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: I grew up in Illinois, did college and medical school in Chicago, and residency in Baltimore. I moved to Texas right after completing residency and attended my first SEA meeting in 2014 when I was a junior faculty member.
Question: So you have been a member for 10.5 years, very impressive. What has been your experience with SEA so far?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: I have found SEA to be a very inclusive, welcoming organization. The organization is led by selfless people who are looking to improve the quality of anesthesia education in this country and beyond.
Question: Has your membership and involvement with SEA helped your professional career? How?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: SEA has absolutely helped my professional career. I have had the opportunity to present posters that describe my curriculum innovations and to lead workshops. I have also had the opportunity to co-chair the medical student education committee and to co-host the upcoming annual meeting in Austin.
Question: Anesthesiologists have no shortage of societies to join/participate with. What are some of the strengths of SEA that make it stand out?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: SEA is a great organization for anesthesiologists who are faculty in residency or fellowship programs. Much of the programming at the meetings is geared towards improving your skills an educator.
Question: What is your current role in SEA? What has been your favorite committee, task, or workgroup?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: Currently, I am the co-chair of the Medical Student Education committee. I enjoy the committee roundtables at each meeting because it gives people an opportunity to interact with the committees in an informal way. I also enjoy the dine around at the spring meeting because it gives conference attendees the opportunity to meet other people in a fun social setting.
Question: What is one thing you’d like to see SEA accomplish in the next 5 years?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: I’d like to see SEA provide anesthesia educators the tools to properly use AI technology. One of the best quotes I heard about AI is that “AI won’t replace physicians, but physicians who use AI will replace physicians who don’t.” I think that is true for physician educators too.
Question: How can SEA help junior faculty just getting underway in their career?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: I think SEA can provide faculty development opportunities, particularly the SEA teaching workshop held every January. Even though I am a mid-career anesthesiologist, I attended last month and found a lot of value in the instruction.
Question: Anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Answer from Michael P. Hofkamp: Like you said before, there are lots of subspecialty societies and lots of anesthesia meetings to choose from. If you are serious about becoming a clinician educator, I highly recommend that you attend a couple SEA meetings and get involved.
