Women’s Committee Update
By Nicole Vigh, DO, MPH Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ACOEP Fall Scientific Assembly in the vivacious Las Vegas, Nevada! As always, the Women’s Committee was thrilled to have such a great turnout for all of our events! Our Women’s Luncheon was very well attended including by a special guest, ACOEP President Dr. Timothy Cheslock. At our luncheon we honored our 2022 Willoughby Award winner, Dr. Alexis LaPietra. The Willoughby Award is presented to women physicians by the ACOEP Women’s Committee to recognize the role they play in the profession. After completing her emergency medicine residency at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Patterson, New Jersey, Dr. LaPietra completed an EM Acute Pain Management Fellowship at St. Joseph’s. After her fellowship she has held increasingly important roles that have distinguished her as one of the leading acute pain management experts in the nation! As an attending physician at St. Joseph’s Dr. LaPietra has served as [...]
Transitions to the Future
President's Report G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D Hello ACOEP family! As I write my last article as president of the college, it is a beautiful Fall day here in St. Louis. Sunny, low 70s, low humidity, a day that made me reminisce about my last three years in leadership of the college. I became president-elect in 2019 at the Scientific Assembly in Austin, Texas. During my two years as presidentelect, I learned the “job” of what being the president of our college would entail. In February 2020, Bob Suter (who was president at the time), and I attended the AOA mid-year meeting in West Palm Beach, Florida. There, we met with AOA leadership and presented our case regarding the creation of a remedy to allow AOBEM-boarded diplomates, who are also EMS medical directors, to take the EMS subspecialty exam (formerly called CAQ-EMS). This was a long, uphill battle, but I am happy to report that we were successful in [...]
Sharing Challenges and Successes
The On-Deck Circle Timothy Cheslock, DO, FACOEP Depending on when you are reading this, we are either headed to Las Vegas for our Scientific Assembly or already on the ground amid what is shaping up to be a great event! Either way, I hope to see many of you in person over the coming days. It seems like just a short time ago I began my term as president elect of the college, and here I am now just days away from taking that next step to the presidency. Time really does not stand still. It has been another great year, one that we can celebrate together as a huge success. Over the past year it has been a true honor to work together with Dr Beirne and the entire board of directors to continue moving the college forward. As we transitioned out of the pandemic and back to live meetings in the spring, a sense of normalcy has [...]
Physician Wellness Committee Update
By Matthew D. Keeler, DO Emergency physician fatigue and burnout has been well recognized for many years. The worldwide pandemic has added additional stressors, both in the work environment and in our personal lives. The nature of emergency medicine produces a raw, unfiltered view of medicine. As front-line healthcare workers there is a finite amount of energy one can provide before a recharge is required. The ACOEP recognizes the increasing demands placed upon EM physicians and the widespread stressors that lend towards clinicians moving away from bedside care years before intended. While most individuals have self-created mechanisms to improve their personal wellness, the ACOEP is here to help. Read more from the Physician Wellness Committee.
A Mother’s Legacy
President's Report G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D Happy summer to all! I hope all of you are enjoying the warm weather and spending time with your families. Summer always brings a sense of joy to me, as nature is in full bloom and shows us why life is so special. I chose the title of this article, because of recent events that transpired in my life. My mother, Christine Beirne, died on June 19, 2022. Read Dr. Beine's full article.
Happy New Year!!
The On-Deck Circle Timothy Cheslock, DO, FACOEP You may be wondering just a bit about the title of my article. It’s the middle of July in the heat of Summer. For so many though in Emergency Medicine, July 1 is the beginning of a new year. I wanted to appropriately acknowledge so many on their achievements and transitions. Read Dr. Cheslock's full article.
Update from the Women’s Committee
By Nicole Vigh, DO, MPH It was so great to finally be back at an in-person conference for our ACOEP Spring Seminar in the beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida! As always, the Women’s Committee was thrilled to have such a great turnout for all of our events! We were honored to have welcomed a new speaker to the ACOEP conference, Dr. Alin Gragossian, DO, MPH, a critical care fellow post emergency medicine residency, who received a heart transplant in 2019 during her EM residency when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with a familial dilated cardiomyopathy which was worsened after she contracted a virus in 2018. She has a podcast and blog, https://www.achangeofhe.art. Her story is truly inspiring and definitely worth checking out. Read Dr. Vigh's full article.
Rebirth and Renewal
PRESIDENT’S REPORT G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D Hello ACOEP family! As you read this, it will be Spring, but as I write this article, it is Sunday, February 27, 2022. A few days ago, we had sleet and snow. Today, it is sunny and near 50. And by March 3, we will have temperatures near 70 degrees, here in St. Louis! I know it may not stay that way, but this time of year always brings my focus towards Spring -- a transition towards warmer weather, sunny days and the renewal of the spirit. Over the last two years, our profession has dealt with a pandemic that we will hopefully never see again in our lifetime. As the pandemic unfolded, I told one of my colleagues during a shift in the ER “this is our 1918” (in reference to the 1918 influenza pandemic). We had to be quick learners to combat COVID, to learn how to deal with the devastation [...]
How Has the Pandemic Changed Us?
THE ON-DECK CIRCLETim Cheslock, DO, FACOEP Not a day goes by that another article streams across one of the social media feeds about how physicians have weathered the storm of the pandemic and are now realizing the effects of those two long years. Do you feel the same motivation for work as you did before the pandemic? Have your long-term career goals changed? Where do you see yourself in five or ten years from now? Has burnout set in? If I asked each of you those questions, I’m sure the answers would be vastly different depending on where you were prior to the start of the pandemic. There may be some common themes or maybe even some surprising answers. Universally though I think it’s safe to say that if nothing else, the events of the last two years have made us all a bit more conscious about our future and our priorities. Read the full article. [...]
You are not an Imposter. You’re a Human.
Joan Naidorf, DO It feels like everyone is talking about imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is defined as doubting one’s abilities or feeling inadequate, like a fraud. It disproportionately affects high achievers and perfectionists who tend to find fault even with their own marvelous accomplishments. Every human feels it from time to time, even men. Much of the writing and studies seen recently in the media focus on the phenomenon in women and speaking of it in terms of a medical or psychiatric diagnosis. The Harvard Business Review has gotten in on the movement. Authors Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey ask the people in the business world to “Stop Telling Women they have Imposter Syndrome.” They object to taking a “fairly universal feeling of discomfort, second-guessing, and mild anxiety in the workplace and pathologized it, especially for women. The authors resent the victim blaming of a biased system that makes women feel as though they do not belong. They write, “For [...]