Why AAEM?
YOUNG PHYSICIANS SECTION
Nicholas Boyko, DO
A
s a pre-medical student, I worked as a medical scribe in an emergency department staffed by a democratic group. The decision was made by the physicians to sell the group to a corporate medical group (CMG). Over the course of a year, I witnessed changes in physician coverage, overheard discussions regarding decreases in physician pay, and witnessed the termination of department directors whom were subsequently replaced by long-term physician affiliates of the CMG. I was bewildered with several questions running through my head. How can a physician-owned group not expect work conditions to change after selling to a CMG? I had always been under the impression that physicians are compensated well—do they really need to sell the field of emergency medicine to a corporation to prosper?
So, ‘Why AAEM?’…There is only one national emergency medicine organization that has focused on the emergency medicine physician and our field as a whole since inception.” Several years later, I proceeded through medical school and began residency. I performed a web search on the largest emergency medicine group in the country, the American College of Emergency Medicine (ACEP). I was disappointed to look at the leadership and see that the majority held some type of regional leadership position in a corporate medical group. New questions arose. Is this not an obvious conflict of interest? How can a regional director simultaneously contend with the best interest of the individual emergency medicine physician in contrast to a profit-driven CMG? As I came towards the end of residency, I gained some clarity. Over the course of my educational pursuit, I accrued several hundred thousand dollars in student loans. I hoped that the next several years following graduation would include my wedding, the purchase of a home, the start of a family, and hobbies that I previously lacked time for. Concurrently, I was graduating residency during the worst emergency physician job market in history towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. When I thought about the expenses required of my aspirations and the grim job market, I saw how financial stressors impacted me and speculated that financial stressors likely contributed to the democratic groups who sold to a CMG. I am no longer disappointed in the decisions of the democratic groups who sold. I am not aware of the factors that lead to their decision and more so, disappointment in itself will not lead to change. Although we all face hardship, we as emergency physicians need to unite and remind ourselves that the decisions we make not only impact ourselves but also our patients and the future of our field. So, “Why AAEM?” There are dozens of medical societies you can enroll
46
COMMON SENSE MAY/JUNE 2024
in. Some send you a gift box when you signup. Others have partnerships that can offer you a 0.125% discount on your student loans or discounts on other products. There is only one national emergency medicine organization that has focused on the emergency medicine physician and our field as a whole since inception. AAEM has released statements against the replacement of physicians by advanced practitioners, has sought legal action against a CMG in California, and has made resources available for the thousands of emergency physicians laid off with several weeks’ notice upon the closure of CMG American Physician Partners (APP). The decision to join AAEM was an easy decision for me to make. I joined AAEM during my intern year of residency and will continue to support the academy throughout my career. Although continuing my yearly membership in AAEM is valuable, it did not satisfy my desire to support the Academy and everything it contributes to our field. I volunteer as a board examiner for AAEM’s oral board examination course and pursued leadership in the Young Physician Section (YPS). Two years ago, I first joined the YPS board and served as a Councilor. The Councilors have several focuses including creating resources for our young physicians, establishing our presence on social media, and organizing YPS events at Scientific Assembly to name a few. Following this, I served as Secretary/Finance Chair in which I maintained our section budget. I am now transitioning into the role of Chair Elect. My goal is to assist the Chair, Dr. Rosenbaum, in promoting the advocacy and accomplishments of AAEM to recent graduates and continuing to provide resources to our YPS members. The Young Physician Section previously required an additional fee to join; this was removed years ago with the hope of supporting all new graduates and not adding to the expenses we all face after graduating. More recently, the duration of eligibility for YPS was increased. Previously five years, all AAEM members are now automatically enrolled in YPS for ten years following residency or fellowship graduation. If you are within ten years of graduating and share a similar goal of contributing to AAEM through the Young Physician Section, please reach out to me via the email address below. I would be happy to talk to you more about our section, my experience, and how you can become involved. Together, we can all work towards the best future of emergency medicine possible. For more information on the resources YPS provides to our members, please visit at: aaem.org/get-involved/sections/yps/resources/ Nicholas Boyko, DO Nick.BoykoDO@gmail.com