S A E M
NEWSLETTER
Newsletter of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
901 North Washington Ave. Lansing, MI 48906-5137 (517) 485-5484 saem@saem.org www.saem.org
March/April 2004 Volume XVI, Number 2
Research Fund Continues to Grow
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Critical Care Certification: One (Giant) Step Back… On December 23, 2003, SAEM was notified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) of two important decisions regarding critical Donald M. Yealy, MD care medicine (CCM) training and certification of emergency medicine (EM) trained physicians. First, the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics decided to continue to oppose any change allowing EM trained physicians access to the U.S. (ACGME) certification process. Secondly, the Internal Medicine based programs – traditionally the site where EM graduates were accepted and trained – will now shift from requiring 75% to 100% of fellows be internal medicine trained before entry. These two decisions have created a professional exorcism for EM physicians already trained in CCM and those seeking this training. ABEM has invested great effort and resources on this issue for over a decade – their work, while not producing the desired result, has been outstanding. Right now, ABEM has no viable options to reverse these decisions. SAEM has long supported access of EM trained physicians into these programs and certification process. Our Society, our Annual Meeting, and our journal have been havens for those EM CCM experts to share their views – beginning with the late Peter Safar, MD, and his many trainees through the current pool of outstanding academic EM intensivists. Much of our early and current recognition comes from this support and the clear recognition that EM and CCM are inseparable – together, we care for the sickest when needed and unplanned, and we create the knowledge to improve the care of those patients. Optimal approaches to injured patients, patients with outof-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest or sepsis – three of the largest ‘CCM care categories’ – are central to the scientific base of both EM and CCM (as well as other disciplines). The most important advances in each have been accomplished with EM and CCM MD efforts – fluid resuscitation, neural protection (including cooling), drug therapy, early external cardiopulmonary support, and early goal directed sepsis therapy. (continued on next page)
Frank Counselman, MD Eastern Virginia Medical School SAEM Financial Development Committee Recently all SAEM members received the SAEM Research Fund brochure. As outlined in the brochure, the goal of the Research Fund is to raise sufficient monies to establish a research endowment. The accrued interest from the endowment will fund current and future research activities. These activities include the current Research Grants, Institutional Research Training Grants, Scholarly Sabbatical Grants, the Medical Student Interest Group Grants, and the Medical Student Research Grants, as well as supporting new research initiatives for the benefit of the membership. The May/June issue of the Newsletter will include the announcements of the 2004-2005 grant recipients. It will make you proud to read about the grant recipients that your Research Fund is helping to support. Unlike other Emergency Medicine funding sources, our funds support research training grants. These grants are not directed to a specific area of research and are open to all members. Last year, 151 members and friends contributed over $42,000 to the Fund. In addition, SAEM contributed $250,000. If you made a contribution last year, we thank you, and ask that you consider making a similar or greater contribution this year. If you did not have the opportunity to contribute last year, we encourage you to join your colleagues this year and make a generous donation. Challenge yourself, your colleagues and your alumni to meet or exceed the contributions made last year. One-hundred percent of your contributions go directly to the Fund; SAEM assumes all of the administrative costs.Your donation is 100% tax deductible.You may pay by check (payable to “SAEM Research Fund”) and mail to the SAEM office or you can make a donation on-line through the SAEM website.
Call for Medical Student Volunteers The Program Committee for SAEM is soliciting a request for medical students who are interested in working at the 2004 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida on May 16-19. The Program Committee will waive the registration fee for a limited number of medical students willing to assist with some administrative duties. Each medical student will be responsible for coordinating evaluations at assigned didactic sessions during two half days and one luncheon session. The Annual Meeting provides a unique opportunity for medical students to familiarize themselves with the research and educational interests of emergency medicine. In return the students will receive a complimentary registration fee. Interested medical students should contact Deborah Diercks, MD by e-mail dbdiercks@ucdavis.edu with the a subject line labeled, “Medical Student Volunteer for Annual Meeting.”