Now is the Time to Get Involved

David D. Vega, MD, FAAEM
YPS President

The following is an excerpt from an email I recently received from a fellow young physician. The last time I had seen him, he mentioned that he was working on starting a new independent group. Here is part of his reply to my inquiry about the progress he was making:

David,

We had the practice pulled out from under our feet by the corporate practice of emergency medicine. It is all CEOs buttering each others bread. This time it was Team -----. They have killed every independent practice in the region except one. I hope I don't sound too bitter, but it is a sad state. This gives the "Rape of Emergency Medicine"* real meaning…
The private hospital is by far the best lifestyle. If it was closer to home, I would work there full time. They have excellent ER doc coverage and a real dedication to ER residency training. They don't pull in the family practice doc that will work for the least money. Something that corporate ER groups are particularly famous for. We will have to talk more in Vegas. Look forward to seeing you then.

KF

My hope is that this message will help to remind each of us that our specialty faces many threats to the ability to safely provide the emergency care that our patients deserve. As the newest generation of Emergency Physicians, we must act both individually and collectively to ensure that Emergency Medicine is practiced by board-certified specialists who keep the interests of patients above the interests of profits. As the Young Physicians Section continues to develop, we hope to add to AAEM’s proven record of supporting our specialty through continued advocacy, education, and support of the individual Emergency Medicine specialist.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has joined the Young Physicians Section so far and encourage you to become more involved with the section. Opportunities exist to become involved with authoring and editing articles, maintaining the website, building membership, and working on special projects for the section. Take a look at the descriptions listed under the “Committees” tab on the website (www.aaem.org/get-involved/sections/yps) and let us know how you would like to get involved by sending an email to info@ypsaaem.org.

If you are a young physician reading this article and have not yet joined the Section, now is the time to do so. Simply check the YPS box on your AAEM membership card or sign up online at www.aaem.org/get-involved/sections/yps/membership. You must be a member of the YPS to participate in the election process, and every member has the opportunity to become involved in the development of the section.

Finally, talk to your colleagues who are not members of AAEM or the YPS and encourage them to join both the organization and the Young Physicians Section. YPS membership is open to members of AAEM who are in their first seven years of practice after residency or are under the age of 40. This is a great opportunity to get involved with a new section and influence its development and growth!

*Note: The Rape of Emergency Medicine is available in PDF and Palm OS formats on AAEM’s homepage (www.aaem.org).