In This Issue:

President's Column: Jeff Kingsley reviews 2010 and projects forward

ABSAME Meeting Call for Presentations: Still time to make your contribution by submitting an abstract

Savannah - The Location: Southern Hospitality Awaits Attendees of the
2010 ABSAME Meeting!

Annals Editor's Update: Update by Don Self on the ABSAME journal

New Edition of Book Coming: Calling editors and authors

Financial Planning Report: Creating a business plan for ABSAME

Call for Nominations: Board positions open for 2010-11

Meetings of Interest: What is happing with other related groups

Welcome

Welcome to the 40th anniversary of ABSAME Progress Notes. It is hard to believe that forty years has passed since this organization began its' work. While my invovlement in the organization is only slighlty longer than half of this time period, it is clear that much has been accomplished. Even so, there remains much that behavioral science educators in medical schools and residency training programs have yet to accomplish toward the mission of promoting the application of social and behavioral science knowledge, skills and perspectives in the education and training of healthcare professionals.

Take the time to read this issue of the newsletter and learn more about out meeting, journal, activites, and ways that you might be involved.

If you have material that you would like to submit to the next issue of the newsletter, please send it to me at admin@absame.org.

Mark Vogel, Ph.D.
Executive Director

President’s Column

It is with great pleasure that I write to you this year, as ABSAME celebrates its' 40th year of forging the path for the behavioral sciences in medical education. It has been a long and not always easy struggle -and many who are in the thick of it today still struggle. But it has been so worthwhile and so rewarding to watch the process of integration unfold. There is such joy in watching a medical student or resident learn to listen empathically, to consider a patient's personal or cultural needs in determining a treatment that will most likely be adhered to, or to unite with that patient in determining what the best course of action may be. I have been honored to meet so many of you who have fought and who continue to forge ahead so that physicians can best serve their patients.

"Beyond Cognitive Competence: Linking Community Experiences to Advocacy and Professionalism" is this year's exciting topic for the 40th annual meeting. The program chairs are putting together a wonderful list of invited speakers who have worked to bring medical education into the communities, to further the scope of translational research, and to reduce health disparities. There are many amongst us who have spent their careers serving people in exactly this way, including our own Ed Eckenfelds, who wrote the book Doctors Serving People. We look forward to all of your submissions to present!

This year, we will also begin the process of transitioning the journal to an online format. For the time being, the journal will be available in both print and electronic formats. With such exciting presentations at last year’s meeting, I am sure your thoughts have been stimulated – and we would love to review you submissions for the Annals of Behavioral Science in Medical Education.

I believe this is going to prove to be an exciting year. Don't keep ABSAME a secret – tell all your friends!

Thank you.

Jeff Kingley, D.O.
ABSAME President 2009-2010

ABSAME Annual Meeting - 2010

As ABSAME anticipates our 40th Anniversary Meeting, we are absolutely thrilled to announce that plans are underway and looking exciting! This will be a wonderful time to look back at how far the behavioral sciences in medical education have come. Our beloved colleague DeWitt (Bud) Baldwin published this history in the ABSAME journal in 2008, and we would be happy to send it to you so that you can use the work and the statistics to propel the field even farther.

This year’s topic moves us beyond the cognitive competencies that we have been having such lively discussions about over the past 2 years. Our focus this year is on bringing what we know (and what we are learning) into real-world situations by linking what we know about patient-centered care, cultural sensitivity, public health and prevention, advocacy, and professionalism to the communities we serve.

A Call for Presentations has been released with the submission deadline on April 19, 2010. The meeting itself will be held October 13-17 in beautiful, lively, and historical Savannah, Georgia. If you have not been to Savannah before, you are in for a real treat! The meeting hotel is the new boutique hotel AVIA Savannah, which won Conde Nast Traveler’s award for being one of the Top New Hotels in 2009. The hotel is located 2 blocks from the famed River Walk, overlooking the Savannah River. It is also less than 2 blocks from City Market, an outdoor pedestrian shopping area full of restaurants and art galleries.

We look forward to another exciting meeting with you. Come dream with us!

Christine Senn, MA & Dennis McNeilly, Ph.D.

Savannah, Georgia - Location of 2010 Meeting

Southern Hospitality Awaits Attendees of the
2010 ABSAME Meeting!

Savannah, the sultry and mysterious “Belle” of the Georgia coast awaits to greet attendees of the 2010 ABSAME meeting with enchanting charisma and first-class Southern charm! This eccentric Southern city beguiles her guests with splendor, glamour and romance. Established in 1733 and founded as America’s 13th and final colony, Savannah blends elegance and refinement with some Southern sass making this destination an old-world favorite with modern-day charms. Culture, shopping and recreational activities fill Savannah’s days while dining, entertainment and romance extend into Savannah’s nights. Come for the outstanding educational experience that ABSAME has to offer and you won’t be able to resist falling in love with the city's hospitality and quirky personality!

The ABSAME conference hotel, the AVIA Savannah, is a new, contemporary hotel located strategically in the heart of the city's historic district. Oozing with posh sophistication inside, one would never guess that the quaint, historical charm of old Savannah is waiting to be explored just steps outside the AVIA's door. World-class restaurants, boutique shopping and attractions are a short stroll away. The AVIA Savannah Hotel and ABSAME are proud to announce that this outstanding new property was named to the Condé Nast Traveler’s Top New Hotels list in 2009.

When you come for the outstanding education that ABSAME has to offer, there is no reason that you shouldn't indulge yourself in all the best the South has to offer in hospitality .

Lauel Humbert, CMP
Meeting Planner - Meeting Resources Unlimited

Submitting to the Annals!

Materials can be sent, preferably electronically, to Don Self at dself@tamu.edu or as hard copy to him at 102 Reynolds Medical Building, Texas A&M College of Medicine, College Station, Texas 77843-1114.

Instructions for authors are included in each issue and can also be found on our website.

Annals of Behavioral Science and Medical Education

We are currently actively reviewing manuscripts for the Spring 2010 Issue of the Annals. A wide range of topics are being reviewed including issues of medical student stress, specialty selection, and several aspects of communication skills. We welcome manuscripts on any topic related to medical education and the relationship of behavioral science to the practice of medicine. We encourage ABSAME members and non-members alike to submit manuscripts for consideration for publication. When a manuscript is received after the deadline for a given Issue, it is simply considered for the next issue. We are continuing to explore the possibility of converting to an online electronic format for the Annals and will let you know as that develops.

On-line Format

The journal is in the process of transitioning to an online format. The last issue of 2009 was sent out in print version. The next issue will most likely be published in a online version but there will be an option for a print version. Details will be forthcoming.

CALLING ALL REVIEWERS!! ATTENTION ALL AUTHORS!!

The Behavioral Sciences and Health Care, ed 2, a text for medical students and residents with a substantial section devoted to USMLE-type multiple choice questions, is scheduled for revision. Our goal is to publish the third edition of this book in the early spring of 2012.

As the editors, we are looking for 10 good people who will review the text very critically and suggest changes/additions that are “musts” for the next edition.

We will provide you with a copy of the second edition immediately and request that you give us your critique by Labor Day. I'm going to ask several of our clinical fellows to each review 2-3 chapters, pointing out what they found useful, what needs updating, and what was omitted. You are certainly welcome to do the review yourself and/or enlist the help of your students/trainees. I'm also going to ask each of them to look at the Table of Contents and tell me what strikes them as missing—what they would want to know about from a behavioral sciences vantage point that is not covered. If you would like to do something similar, we can send you a couple of copies to facilitate simultaneous reviews.

Learning how to teach is an essential skill for any health care provider. In preparing a presentation, lecture, or book chapter, the teacher often learns more than the listener/reader. Providing opportunities for especially gifted trainees to participate in authorship of a chapter is a major feature of the ABSAME authorship mentoring program. As the editors, we are committed to assisting trainees and junior faculty as they begin to build their publishing portfolio. If, as a teacher, you would like to join one or two of your trainees as a writing team, we would be happy to talk with you about the process. Please just contact us after you have completed your review and have suggestions for topics you would like to upgrade or add.

We appreciate your help and look forward to working with you!

O.J. Sahler, MD (oj_sahler@urmc.rochester.edu)
Jack Carr, PhD (jcarr@u.washington.edu)

ABSAME Financial Planning Committee Report

ABSAME Business Plan

Have you ever thought of ABSAME as a “business?” If so, what is our “business?” Is it just to find great places to meet once a year to catch up on each other’s lives and careers, and to learn some new ideas or practices? Or, are there broader organizational goals? Do we have a clear mission? How do we hope to accomplish the mission?

These are some of the questions the Financial Planning Committee and the ABSAME Board have been wrestling with. We have proposed significant changes in how ABSAME defines itself and how it defines its mission(s). But, there is much work remaining to be done. This activity is not just a mental exercise nor is it to produce a nice document to hang on the wall. It is to build a foundation to take ABSAME forward as a thriving organization from the “Think Tank” model it has enjoyed for its forty year history to one that makes ABSAME an organization that helps inform all of aspects of the integration of medical education and the behavioral sciences. At this point we have defined the following as our DRAFT revised mission:

1. To promote the inclusion and application of social and behavioral science knowledge, skill and perspectives in the education and training of health care professionals.
2. To improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of health care through the application of social and behavioral science knowledge, skills and perspectives.
3. To advocate for the use of progressive educational and training practices to prepare health care professionals to manage contemporary biopsychosocial issues.
4. To provide continuing education for teachers, clinicians, researchers and administrators involved in healthcare training and practice.

ABSAME has been engaged in this direction for sometime, but we believe that a revised focus on our mission will help us more ompletely archive these objectives. We are still describing how we are currently meeting our mission goals and working on new ideas and strategies to meet them in the future. If this sounds exciting to and you want to participate in where ABSAME is headed please contact Al Eaton via email at albert.eaton@crhs.net

Albert H. Eaton, Ph.D.
Committee Chair

Call for Nominations

As Chair of ABSAME's Nomination Committee it is my responsibility to encourage ABSAME's membership to nominate people to run for the leadership positions that will become vacant at the end of the year. This year we will need to nominate candidates for the following positions.

President-elect
The president of ABSAME has a 6 year responsibility which consists of;
1. Serving 2 years as President-elect during which he or she assists the current president with various projects and serves on committees which prepares the president-elect to assume leadership by familiarizing him or her with the issues and procedures of the organization:
2. Serving 2 years as the sitting President, during which he or she provides leadership to the organization as a whole and especially to the Board of Directors:
3. Serving 2 years post-term as the Chairman of the Nomination Committee, during which he or she works with the Nomination Committee to solicit nominations for election of officers and board members.

Board Member at large (Physician)
The physician board member serves a term of 3 years. Responsibilities include;
1. Attending monthly board meetings via conference call:
2. Attending board meeting held at the annual meeting:
3. Providing leadership to committees, either as a chair or as an active committee member.

Board Member at large (Non-Physician)
The non-physician board member serves a term of 3 years. Responsibilities include;
1. Attending monthly board meetings via conference call:
2. Attending board meeting held at the annual meeting:
3. Providing leadership to committees, either as a chair or as an active committee member.

Please send your nominations to Gary Myers, Ph.D., Chair of the Nomination Committee at Siuprof@yahoo.com

Upcoming Meetings of Interest

January 26-29, 2011
Alliance for Continuing Medical Education
36th Annual Conference

The New CME – Blending Adult Learning Facilitation and Individual/Organizational Performance

San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, CA
Information Available in Fall 2010

www.acme-assn.org

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May 12-15, 2010
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
11th Conference

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health promotes health (broadly defined)
through partnerships between communities and higher educational institutions.
Join us for CCPH's 11th Conference, "Creating the Future We Want to Be:
Transformation through Partnerships" -- Portland, Oregon!

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