Program Director’s Corner – February 2021

APDEM Involvement:  APDEM Committees

David C. Lieb, MD, FACE, FACP
Program Director, Endocrinology and Metabolism Fellowship
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Welcome everyone to the February 2021 APDEM Program Directors’ Corner! I hope everyone is well – mentally and physically. I’m hopeful that all of your fellows and faculty are getting vaccinated – and that you are too. It’s been a tough year – and many of our institutions have declared ACGME emergency status due to COVID – some of us for the second time. Many of our colleagues are also dealing with weather-related emergencies – including the terrible power outages across Texas. My thoughts are with all of you and your fellows.

This month I want to talk about the great benefits of APDEM involvement. Specifically – the benefits of getting involved on APDEM committees. When I started as chair of the APDEM Newsletter Committee in 2019 I was excited. I was a relatively new program director – and was looking forward to meeting other program directors who were engaged and finding ways to not only better their own fellowship programs, but also help other programs to do the same. I enjoyed writing our monthly newsletter and asking others to help assist as well.  And then…2020 happened.  Of course, I could not have foreseen the COVID-19 pandemic that changed all of our lives so greatly.  This led to the formation of the APDEM COVID-19 Task Force which I was selected to co-chair with APDEM immediate-past president Chris McCartney, along with guidance from our president Andrew Gianoukakis and our APDEM council members.

It’s been through that experience that I’ve learned how being actively involved in APDEM is important both personally and professionally. I’ve met so many wonderful people – and have expanded my professional network to include colleagues from around the country, all of whom can share their experiences and recommendations for how to better my own fellowship program. I’m learning how to effectively work with APDEM staff and leadership to bring new ideas to fruition, and to enact real change, including during a time of crisis.

This past year APDEM also established the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee co-chaired by Rana Malek and Ricardo Correa – I have been fortunate to participate on a committee charged with helping fellowship programs work to improve diversity and add curriculum centered around health equity issues in medicine and in endocrinology. And I continue to meet wonderful people working hard to better their programs and assist others to do the same.

This is my story with APDEM. Everyone’s story is different, and people may be at different time points in their career, with different needs. However, I feel strongly that some of the greatest personal and professional satisfaction in my life has come from my engagement with others. This happens both at one’s home institution, but also through involvement in national and international organizations. APDEM has become one of my new homes and has brought me much happiness during a difficult year. I want others to share in that experience, and hope that many of you will consider participating on one of the many APDEM committees currently available, including:

• All-in-Match Committee
• COVID-19 Task Force Subcommittees: Pandemic Emergency Status L3, Fellow Didactic, Patient Care, and Fellow Recruitment
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
• Finance Committee
• Newsletter Committee

APDEM needs you – we can only thrive and grow with an active, involved membership. And I know you’ll thrive from your experiences with APDEM, too. If you would like to join one of these committees or if you would like to volunteer within APDEM, please email APDEM@endocrine.org.

Take care of yourself, and of your fellows. Be safe.

David Lieb serves as chair of APDEM’s Newsletter Committee.