Dear Colleague,

I hope that each of you is having a safe and healthy start to 2007. By now, you may have read previous articles by my colleagues on the Governing Council of the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) and I hope you have found this information stimulating and motivating. Being excited and passionate about issues facing our healthcare system, our patients, and your future careers is what we hope to share with our resident and fellow colleagues.

If you have had a chance to attend our Interim Meeting in Las Vegas this past November, I thank you for taking the time to attend and contribute. If you have not had an opportunity to attend an American Medical Association (AMA) meeting, I encourage you to do so. In addition to our annual meeting every June in Chicago, and our Interim Meeting in the fall, there are many other AMA events in which you could get involved.

During February 12-14, 2007, the AMA will once again be hosting our National Advocacy Conference and Leadership Awards Program in the nation’s capital. This is a meaningful, insightful, and energizing meeting that continues the AMA’s focus of incorporating advocacy for healthcare into the practice of medicine.

I had the opportunity to attend this event before being elected to the AMA-RFS Governing Council and, quite frankly, the experience was life-changing. I had never attended a conference that allowed me such close interaction with leaders of government, organized medicine, and the policy-development process, while at the same time giving me a sense of empowerment that my presence was valued.

From learning about the significant leadership accomplishments of medical students, residents, young physicians, international medical graduates, and other physicians to meeting with members of Congress and other politicians on Capitol Hill, the National Advocacy Conference promises to be an exhilarating AMA event.

If you cannot attend the meeting this year, please keep this annual event in mind for next year. Along with all our conferences and events, we welcome and encourage new members and new participants to attend and take part in our organization. A list of all our upcoming meetings and events is available on the AMA-RFS website at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/15.html

We all lead busy, intense, and increasingly stressful lives, and participation in activities outside of our residencies and fellowships can indeed be daunting. Nevertheless, if you get the chance to invest in just one endeavor, I encourage you to let that involvement include activity with the AMA and specifically with the RFS.

On behalf of the AMA-RFS Governing Council, thank you for taking the time to get to know your AMA better. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming AMA event in the very near future.

Seemal R. Desai, MD
Member-at-Large, Governing Council
American Medical Association
Resident and Fellow Section