Let’s Get More Young Physicians on ACEP Committees!

If you’ve ever thought about applying to serve on an ACEP committee, now is the time! ACEP is accepting applications for its nearly 30 committees through May 15, and our Young Physicians Section would love to increase our collective voice on these influential committees. The committees represent a huge range of interests, so there is something for everyone.

If you’re on the fence, here are a few reasons to apply:

1. As young physicians, we are the future of our specialty. We need to have seats at these tables where policies are written, decisions are made and resources created.
2. Committees work together on tasks assigned by the Board, many of which are related to the Council resolutions. You know how federal advocacy moves from legislative to regulatory phases during implementation? In the ACEP world, Council is the legislative phase and committees are a big part of the regulatory phase.
3. It’s a fantastic way to meet more emergency physicians and grow your network.
4. It’s a competitive process and a prestigious honor to be selected.

Many of our YPS officers also serve on committees and took the time to share their personal experiences:

Jessica Best, MD, FACEP
Past Chair, Young Physicians Section
Medical Director, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital (Texas)

Education Committee: When I was an EMRA member, I was the chair of the EMRA Education Committee. I worked on projects, such as creating 20 in 6, a lecture competition held at our national conference for residents. Part of the role of the Education Committee Chair for EMRA was to serve as a liaison to the ACEP Education Committee, specifically on the Educational Meetings subcommittee. As the EMRA liaison to this committee, I was involved in planning Scientific Assembly. It was such an amazing opportunity to see how the meeting worked behind the scenes, including how we decide on lectures and speakers. I had such a great experience that I applied to stay on the committee after my time as the EMRA liaison was over. This will be by 7th year on the committee, and every year I look forward to our meetings where we bring new ideas for Scientific Assembly to the table. Having the voice of EMRA and our Young Physician Section members is very important in this process because we are the future of ACEP.

John Corker, MD, FACEP
Immediate Past Chair, Young Physicians Section
Partner, Emergency Medicine Specialists
Adjunct Community Faculty, Wright State University (MD) and Grandview Medical Center (DO) Residency Programs

Federal Government Affairs Committee: I decided to get more involved with ACEP when I was fortunate enough to match in EM at UT-Southwestern/Parkland for my residency training. Previously, I had been heavily involved in the AMA, as well as my state and county medical associations. I spent three years sitting on the AMA's Council on Legislation.  I had even completed a Health Policy Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  I was deeply invested in both the power of policy to impact population health and the critical role that bedside physicians can play in its creation.

While attending my first ACEP Council Meeting in 2014, I struck up conversation with a few mentors who encouraged me to run for the position of EMRA liaison to ACEP’s Federal Government Affairs (FGA) Committee.  I was selected and have been reappointed every year since. The experience has really broadened my understanding of and involvement in ACEP's influence on Capitol Hill.  Serving with several former ACEP presidents, Board members and seasoned pit docs alike has been incredibly instructive. And working so closely with our DC advocacy staff has opened a humbling window into how our democratically-constructed Council policies influence real-world decisions in very tangible ways.

Puneet Gupta, MD, FACEP
Chair, Young Physicians Section
Assistant Medical Director, Los Angeles Fire Department

Membership Committee: With the recent call for transparency, I realized that one part of transparency is having access to information. By being part of ACEP’s Membership Committee, I have received training, support, and resources to better serve our members and improve transparency for all of us. Being part of the committee has been fascinating; I get to be part of our team of emergency physicians that is constantly striving to increase the value of ACEP membership and support emergency physicians as a whole. 

Communications Committee: I joined ACEP’s Communications Committee on the recommendation of a friend, and it has been amazing to see the breadth issues that ACEP weighs in on. Participating as an ACEP spokesperson gives me the opportunity to provide evidence-based information for various media outlets, and the training and experience has furthered my development as a public figure. The folks involved in the committee are intelligent, well-trained, and eager to serve. If you’re interested in media outreach, public health communication and communications to both the public and our peers, I think you’d really benefit from serving on this committee.

Scott Pasichow, MD
Councillor, Young Physicians Section
Asst. Professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine & EMS Medical Director at HSHS St. Mary’s and St. John’s 

Coding & Nomenclature Advisory Committee: We have all had the experience of getting a message from the coding department about a chart having incomplete data, or that we need to correct an age, or that the care we provided is at one level, but we didn't click the correct box in the chart to bill for that level of care. Payment and billing and coding for many of us is the ugly side of emergency medicine, but the fact is that we are all in this to have a career that not only helps patients, but also makes sure we can care for our families and have good quality of life. I joined CNAC to get a better understanding of how that all worked and what ACEP was doing to make it better.

I also saw that there was very little time spent educating residents on how the billing and coding side on emergency medicine works, and what we need to do to make sure that we are able to get paid for the work we are doing. Some of us will even work off of RVUs for our salary completely, so the basics and intricacies of this process will make a difference in every paycheck. This committee has a focus on educating physicians on the ins and outs of the process, and that educational piece is what I have enjoyed most.

Bylaws Committee: I'm a nerd, and I love to wordsmith. I also understand the importance that our governing documents can have on the way we interact with our society, from defining what policies we have to defining who is able to lead and how medical students and residents are able to contribute. That's why I joined ACEP’s Bylaws Committee. I wanted to make sure there was a strong resident voice on the committee, and I wanted to make sure our bylaws were well crafted and intentionally designed by our members to create the organization that we all envision ACEP and the state chapters to be.

Jordan Warchol, MD
Legislative Advisor, Young Physicians Section
Asst. Professor at University of Nebraska Medical Center

Communications Committee: Being part of the communications committee is learning all about the latest and greatest that ACEP is doing. Our role is to help ACEP’s public relations & communications staff adequately convey the message of the College to various stakeholders. We do this through amplifying social media posts, helping guide media strategy, and responding to press requests on behalf of the College. One of the things that we look at every month is how well our social media is doing with engagement. This committee is great if you want to be involved without adding too much on your plate. It is also awesome for those of us who truly believe in the mission of ACEP and want to communicate that to members, other colleagues, and the public.

Learn more and apply for an ACEP committee role.