On Friday, February 24, 2023 from 10:30-11:45 a.m., the 2023 ACGME Annual Educational Conference will offer four truly exceptional plenary choices for attendees. Each plenary will be presented by renowned leaders in the field, each covering a specific topic of profound importance to the graduate medical education (GME) community. Here is a summary of your options:
Roe v. Wade and the Future of Graduate Medical Education
Speakers: Gabriella Gosman, MD; Beth Brinkmann, JD; Dineo Khabele, MD; Mary Klingensmith, MD
This plenary will provide the audience with an understanding of the impacts of the United States Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overturned Roe v. Wade. Three speakers will consider this impact from different perspectives: accreditation; clinical practice as an obstetrics and gynecology physician/educator; and legal ramifications for individual states’ intrusion on the physician-patient relationship, with moderation and facilitation of the discussion provided by ACGME Senior Vice President, Accreditation Dr. Mary Klingensmith. Using this legal decision as a framework, attendees will gain insight into how GME may be threatened, with alterations to professional identity formation, freedom to practice and teaching using evidence-based medicine, and potential limits to meeting educational program and board certification requirements.
The NAM Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being: An Interview with the US Surgeon General
Speakers: Victor Dzau, MD; US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA; Timothy P. Brigham, MDiv, MA, PhD
This session will address the collaborative efforts to create the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being. NAM President Dr. Victor Dzau will provide background on the National Plan. This will be followed by an interview between US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy and ACGME Chief of Staff and Chief Education Officer Dr. Timothy P. Brigham, with a focus on implications and impacts on the health workforce, GME, and the clinical learning environment. Dr. Murthy is one of four Co-Chairs of the NAM Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience (ACGME President and CEO Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP is also a co-chair).
The capacity and well-being of the US health workforce has been under threat for years by an epidemic of burnout, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this systems issue. Now more nurses, physicians, and state and local public health department employees than ever are considering leaving their professions. Recognizing that the function of the US health system is at stake, NAM released the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being in October 2022 to drive collective action to strengthen health workforce well-being and restore the health of the nation.
Preparing Learners to Care for Patients and Communities Experiencing Substance Use Disorder
Speakers: Charlene Dewey, MD, MEd, MACP; Jeanette Tetrault, MD, FACP, FASEM; Stephen Loyd, MD; Eric Holmboe, MD, MACP, FRCP
Substance use disorders (SUDs), including Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), remain a persistent and pernicious problem across the United States. All heath care professionals must be prepared to care for patients with SUDs. In 2022, the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Countering the US Opioid Epidemic released the “3 Cs” competency framework for pain management and SUD, designed to highlight key abilities needed by all health care professionals. The framework builds on other resources available to the GME community related to SUDs. Implementing new competencies, curricula for SUDs, and assessments that support the acquisition of competencies in SUDs can be challenging. This plenary features national experts with significant expertise in caring for individuals with SUDs and implementing educational programs in undergraduate and graduate medical education. The goal of the session is to provide practical guidance and tips on educational changes that programs can make now to improve their education and training and to better prepare residents and fellows to provide evidence-based SUD care for patients, patients’ families, and communities.
Nutrition and Health: Developing a GME Framework
Speakers: Jaclyn Lewis Albin, MD, FACP, FAAP; Kate Sommerfeld, MPA; David Seres, MD, ScM, PNS, FASPEN; John Combes, MD
The role of nutrition in maintaining health and as an important social determinant of health has become widely recognized by both the public and policy makers. Yet physicians to whom the public turns for advice are often unprepared to answer questions and provide support. The role of food insecurity in health and disease may not be understood and lead to poorer health outcomes. This panel will examine nutrition as a social determinant through the perspective of community heath, will consider and discuss the science and evidence of “food as medicine,” and will explore ways to engage residents and fellows in a meaningful clinical experience in nutrition education.
We look forward to gathering the GME community in person in Nashville, Tennessee this year, and invite you to visit the conference website to learn more about the exciting networking and learning opportunities at #ACGME2023. Online registration is now closed for the 2023 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, but on-site registration will be available in Nashville.