AAMC Reporter: August 2008

A Word from the President: "Our Annual Meeting: Thought Leaders Then and Now"

As summer comes to a close, our 2008 annual meeting and a momentous national election draw near. With so many issues looming large for our country, the convergence of these two events led me to think about previous annual meetings and the many speakers who have given us much-needed insight during challenging times. Over the years, we have been privileged to hear from cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, corporate leaders, authors, journalists, and, of course, AAMC leaders. As keynoters, plenary speakers, and panel moderators, these "thought leaders" not only have provided fresh perspective, they also have urged our personal active involvement on key issues related to medical education, research, and patient care.

To help frame some of these issues and how this year's program addresses them, I thought it might be interesting to draw upon the words of previous annual meeting speakers. And borrowing from our annual meeting theme, I also thought it important to highlight the many thought leaders who will be joining us in San Antonio to "create a better tomorrow."

With regard to education, I found the words of J. Robert Buchanan, M.D., AAMC chair in 1992, to be as true today as they were 16 years ago. "Above all," Dr. Buchanan said, "we need to be secure that we are preparing our students to practice medicine that has high social value." As our population continues to grow increasingly diverse and patient care becomes more and more team-based, we need doctors who are culturally competent and able to work collaboratively with allied health care professionals.

To guide us in the right direction, we have lined up two high-level thought leaders for Monday: Jeanette E. South-Paul, M.D., from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Madeline Schmitt, Ph.D., from the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Dr. South-Paul will lead a focus session on diversity in physician education across the continuum, and Dr. Schmitt will speak during the morning plenary session about interprofessional education 36 years after the landmark Institute of Medicine report.

Turning to research, I came across a 2002 keynote speech by National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni that was as prophetic as it was eloquent. Speaking just before the doubling of the NIH budget ended, Dr. Zerhouni told attendees at our 113th meeting: "The opportunities for revolution in the biomedical sciences have never been better and the challenges have never been greater."

Six years later, those opportunities are tantalizingly close, but still out of reach as we struggle to ensure sustained and predictable funding for the NIH.

The promising news, however, is that an overwhelming number of Americans want more national discussion about the vital role of scientific research. According to a poll commissioned earlier this year by Research!America, 85 percent of respondents—Democrats and Republicans alike—endorsed the idea of holding a presidential candidate debate on the issue. (Interestingly, when asked to name the area of their life where scientific research had played the biggest role, 44 percent said "health care," making it the top response.) Is this a mere snapshot in time, or an important turning point in public understanding? To help place findings like these into context, Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will speak during Monday's plenary on "Science and Society."

When I began to consider thought leader quotes about patient care, the words of last year's keynote speaker, Cokie Roberts (ABC News political commentator and National Public Radio senior news analyst) immediately came to mind: "I think the reason health care has become a hot issue," said Ms. Roberts, "is that it is a reflection of people's personal experiences, just as economic concerns are a result of the housing market and higher gas prices."

Stated another way, I think Americans are fundamentally worried whether "a doctor will be in the house"when they need one. This multilayered and complex issue will be discussed by many distinguished speakers throughout our annual meeting. On Sunday afternoon, Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D., of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, will talk about physician specialty and location choice; Monday morning, Karen Davis, Ph.D., president of The Commonwealth Fund, will discuss the unique role of academic medical centers and teaching hospitals in achieving a high performance health care system; and also on Monday, Paul Grundy, M.D., M.P.H., IBM Corporation, and Lloyd Michener, M.D., Duke University Medical Center, will lead a focus discussion on "medical homelessness." Additionally, AAMC staff will conduct several sessions related to physician workforce issues.

On a final program note, I am pleased to report that Ted Koppel, author and former anchor of the ABC News program "Nightline," will be this year's keynote speaker. His address, "Insight Spanning the Decades," should be especially illuminating!

I think you will agree we have an extraordinary lineup of thought leaders this year. In the interim, I hope you will consider your role as a thought leader—as a member of your institution, as a member of the academic medicine community at-large, and as a voting citizen. Since Election Day falls on the Tuesday of our annual meeting, those planning to attend should arrange for an absentee ballot (for information about requirements in your state, please visit www.vote411.org). Then, please plan to join us for a spirited gathering on election night, as we learn which presidential candidate will lead our nation toward a better tomorrow.

Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., AAMC President and CEO

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement