REPORT OF RESIDENT AND FELLOW SECTION
RFS Report 1-A-07
Subject: Resident and Fellow Section Activities
Presented by:Kandice Kilbride, MD, Chair
TMA ended 2006 with a net increase in active members of 720 and a 1.7 percent increase in membership, reaching a total of 41,810 physician and student members. Resident membership decreased by 28 members, or 0.6 percent of resident memberships.
TMA leadership was instrumental in overturning a recent policy change at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which stated the institution would not continue to pay for their residents' TMA memberships. This change affected approximately 250 resident members. As a result, TMA was able to retain those resident memberships and gain 163 additional members.
Committee on Membership
The Committee on Membership requested a change from the current three-year term for the resident and student members of the Committee on Membership to a one-year term. Some residents and students are ineligible to serve three-year terms because of graduation and residency dates. A change to one-year terms would mean consistency with student and resident terms on all other TMA boards, councils, and committees.
Resident Recruitment
Residents remain a crucial target group. TMA was to invite new residents in Texas to attend resident Match Day in March. Residents were to receive a letter of invitation, pre-populated application, and special one-half year dues rate. The student newsletter, Grand Rounds , will include an ad asking fourth-year students to notify TMA of their residency program matches and their new addresses so they can continue to receive important membership information.
TMA staff attended most of the large residency program orientations last year and hope to do the same this year. To recruit residents, staff will continue to utilize relationships with house staff coordinators, section leadership, and local county societies.
Licensure Process
At the request of the Texas Medical Board (TMB), TMA is preparing a seminar on the licensure process to help educate students and residents about eligibility, what is involved in licensure, and how to properly complete an application. TMA has offered assistance in setting up a secure Web site that would allow licensure applicants to log on and track the status of their application. Donald Patrick, MD, is putting together a taskforce of TMB employees to help facilitate this process.
The Committee on Membership suggested that TMA provide a Web page and materials dedicated to information beneficial to newly licensed physicians. It would include Texas physician statistics and shortages information, requirements for licensure in Texas and application instructions, answers to frequently asked questions, and key resources such as the physician services practice checklist. Additionally, the committee suggested segmenting the information provided to newly licensed physicians based on whether they had practiced elsewhere (outside of Texas), had not practiced before, or are international medical graduates. TMA membership development staff will define the complete list of items that might be included.
Resident Participation
RFS leadership is committed to efforts that will increase leadership development and opportunities for involvement by residents in the RFS and in organized medicine. The section is encouraging and supporting members for AMA positions and has a resident appointee on the TMA Board of Trustees.
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2007