Back in 1990 when I joined the College, I didn’t have an inkling that someday I would lead ACAAI as its president. I became an allergist in large part because I had asthma as a child and I was shaped by my experiences with my own allergist – Dr. William Sawyer Eisenstadt, who was a past ACAAI president. After joining the College, I gradually got involved in committee work. I had mentors who guided me along the way, and I hope, in some way, I’ve had a positive influence on others in their journeys as allergists or in their College involvement.
The sense of community and the opportunities for training and leadership are aspects that make College membership valuable – personally and professionally. Recent College programs underscore its commitment to building leaders, fostering mentorship and encouraging involvement.
Advocacy Summit
Many of the College’s HOD State Delegates participated in the Advocacy Summit on March 13 and 14 in Chicago. After nine hours of advocacy training over the two days, the delegates learned how to approach, meet, and advocate with their state legislators. Advocacy plays a critical role for the allergy specialty as a whole, allergists and the patients we serve. Important issues continue to mount, and our delegates are an important part of our advocacy efforts. We are always looking to enlarge our army of “superheroes.”
Leadership summit
This past weekend, 20 men and women in the early stages of their careers met for a weekend dedicated to developing leadership savvy. They were introduced to skills they can use in their practices, volunteer roles and personal lives, including effective communication, conflict resolution, coaching and more. They also learned more about ACAAI and how to apply their new skills to help move the College forward.
The Leadership Summit is at capacity every year, but attendance is purposely capped so participants can benefit from small group interaction. This program is a win-win – attendees learn practical skills, and the College benefits. Many former participants have become committee chairs, ACAAI regents, and other leaders. Since its beginning in 2017, the program has produced more than 200 potential leaders.
Committee work
There are 370 ACAAI members who are part of College committees, and the projects committees undertake ensure the College’s work advances the specialty. Becoming part of a committee is an easy way to get involved and is often the start of the pathway to leadership positions. It’s also a way to share your expertise in clinical, practice management and communications areas.
The time to apply for College committees is now. The deadline is April 15.
SPARK Awards
The core principle of any College program or initiative, like the ones above, is making sure patients receive the best allergy/immunology care. With shortages of doctors nationwide, we want to draw medical students and residents to allergy/immunology (A/I) as a specialty choice. We’ve got a lot of positives that make A/I an attractive choice – consistent work schedules, few emergency calls and night shifts compared to other specialties, plus long-term patient relationships and the ability to improve a patient’s quality of life.
The College’s SPARK program is a pipeline to introduce our field. Every year we give awards to medical students and residents to attend the ACAAI Annual Meeting, with mentorship before and after the meeting. I’m working with the Training Program Directors Committee to expand the SPARK program and strengthen outreach to residents and medical students at historically Black colleges and universities. The goal is to pump up our recruitment efforts and offer meaningful student experiences. Our specialty needs more allergists of color, as Black communities often have higher rates of allergic conditions. With more Black allergists, we can improve access to specialized care in underserved communities. Know of someone who might be interested in a SPARK Award? The deadline is May 5.
These are just a few examples of programs the benefit individual members as well as the future of our specialty. The College doesn’t rest on the success of programs like the ones above. We’re planning for the future as we map out the next three-year strategic plan, which serves as a guide for initiatives and programs for the next three years.
