Dear APDEM family,
I consistently marvel at the format of an academic year in relation to a calendar year. As June unfolds and as we head into July and the summer season, as many often get ready to relax and unwind in the warm weather, we as endocrinology program directors are entering a notoriously busy time. We are wrapping up one year by completing summative evaluations on our fellows, convening our Program Evaluation Committees, and evaluating our faculty members while, at the same time, getting ready to welcome and onboard our new trainees. Furthermore, no sooner do we orient our new fellows and help them acclimate to our institution and training program, then we enter recruitment season. It amazes me that, even before we have truly gotten to know our latest fellows, we are already reviewing applications to decide which fellows we would like to see enter our programs the following year. Fortunately, we as program directors are, indeed, a family. We can lean on each other, learn from one another, and commiserate with one another when support is needed. I am proud, as I am sure you all are as well, of the support structure that APDEM has in place to assist with the myriad tasks that we confront, not just in the summer, but throughout the calendar year.
As I humbly assume the role of APDEM president, I am excited by the opportunities in front of us as an association; opportunities to reach even more program directors with our continually updated curricular content and offerings, to partner with other like-minded organizations, and to continue to expand the collaboration which already exists with our sibling societies. As you all know by now, our Council unanimously voted in recent months to approve a merger of APDEM with the Endocrine Society such that APDEM is now a division of the Endocrine Society. The autonomy, governance, structure, and workflow of APDEM remain unchanged but now with a more expansive bandwidth to do the work which we have long valued on behalf of our members. Of course, for us to continue to grow and achieve, we must also continue to foster the community that we so diligently have built with one another. As I mentioned during our annual meeting last month, over 40% of our members contribute to our eight committees. Although I hope for continued upward movement in that number, this is an incredible statistic. I am so proud that, despite the time commitments that we all honor in our professional and personal lives, many of us nonetheless devote ourselves to ADPEM. We also learn from one another and help each other grow as educators and program leaders. I ask that you all stay connected with me and with our Council members pertaining to feedback and further ideas as we navigate the operationalization of the merger over the course of the next several months.
I look forward to getting to know those of you with whom I do not already have a professional relationship. In moving forward with APDEM Council in a meticulous, evidence-based, and steadfast fashion, I look forward to continuing to grow by speaking with and learning from all of you as members. I encourage all of you to remember to take time out as well for your own health and well-being. We are all responsible for quite a bit, but we will be better role models to our fellows and faculty, better clinicians, and better family members if we acknowledge and practice physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.
Please reach out to me (Levine.Matthew@scrippshealth.org), to any of our Council members, or to APDEM itself (APDEM@endocrine.org) with suggestions, questions, or concerns.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Levine, MD, FACE
APDEM President
Program Director, Scripps Clinic/Scripps Green Hospital
La Jolla, CA