If There's One Thing You Do This Year...

...it's get involved with your state medical or specialty society!

“Say what now, Carrie?? Aren’t there about a hundred better ways I can spend my time (and money) than attending state medical society meetings or writing letters & emails or working on committees?”? At first, it might seem so, but hear me out…

I have had the privilege of being involved with five different state medical or specialty societies during my career as a physician, and the benefits are numerous:

• Developing & Strengthening Connection - Evidence supports what we all feel: loneliness is the new smoking. Getting involved with in-person meetings, advocacy, education and mentoring through your state society is a great way to combat the loneliness that often comes with the fast-pace of practicing medicine today.? A recent study by a research group of (mostly female!) physician scientists out of UCSD showed that loneliness among physicians and medical students was more common among women and People of Color and was associated with burnout symptoms (OR=3.14, p<0.001), depression (OR=12.34, p<0.001), mood disorders (OR=4.34–8.34, p<0.05), and suicidal ideation (OR=3.47–13.00, p<0.001).? I know for myself, I felt deep relief and a sense of purpose being in the presence of other local women physicians at our Women’s Section meeting as we coached each other through career transitions, connected over shared interests, and set priorities for the coming year.
• Using Your Voice - as female physicians we often feel like no one is listening to us, that our voices don’t matter.? As someone who has been involved in policy advocacy now for two decades, I can tell you: your state legislators and local policy makers care about your voice.? At the state and local level of government, the problem is often that public servants and state representatives and senators don’t hear enough from citizens and constituents - at the state and local level, especially in a group of healthcare professionals, the power of your voice is amplified.? State-level advocacy is an especially powerful tool for medical specialties to advance their national patient care priorities.? If this is something that lights your fire, check out this article from the American Society of Anesthesiologists for tips and tools for state-level advocacy.
• Upleveling Professional Development - no matter where you are in your career (building, rebuilding, growing, scaling) connecting with other physicians practicing in your state can help you.? As a medical student with the NC Academy of Family Physicians, I got access to incredible learning and networking opportunities.? With the California Medical Society as a resident, I got a glimpse into how technology can unite people across geography - if you want to see an organization that’s adept at using apps, webinars, and virtual experiences to advance the profession, check out CMA’s work!? With the New York State Society of Anesthesiologists and the New York Academy of medicine, I got to experience the history-making possibilities and financial power of state-level organizations that have been in existence for over 100 years. With the Oregon Society of Anesthesiologists, I was a part of a top-notch legislative advocacy team and gained CME speaking experience.? And with the Medical Society of the State of Alabama, I’ve built my professional network in a new state, during a pandemic, in a way that wouldn’t have been possible as a doc who started out in a small private practice.??
• Staying Current & Relevant - State societies are one channel that can help you know what’s important for other physicians in your area and what decisions are being made at a local, state, and national level that might impact your practice or business.? Did you know that physician practices are being charged what amounts to billions of dollars in fees when they accept electronic payments from insurance companies?? Neither did I until I learned about it from one of my state medical society’s board members!? If you want to read more about this issue that increases insurance companies’ profits and decreases physician practices’ solvency, check out this article.

So truly, if there’s one thing that I could recommend you get started (or restarted!) at the beginning of this year, it’s getting involved with your state medical society or state specialty society.? Our voices as female physicians, and especially as women physicians who own businesses are in-demand. And when we don’t get out there and use them, we are not only missing an opportunity for connection and wellness for ourselves, but an opportunity to help our patients and our communities!*

*Note for those of us experiencing burnout or a difficult season: you don’t have to get out there in a big way.? If all you have bandwidth for is joining an organization and reading the emails some of the time, that’s okay.? No need to overwhelm your system, but small things help move the wellness needle.?