Peter S. Liang, MD, MPH

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee was formed in 2013 to address the needs of those at the beginning of their careers in gastroenterology. The committee is composed of 12 trainee and early career members, whose mission is to develop and support programs relevant to the needs of young clinicians and researchers in the field of GI. In an initial needs assessment, a survey of GI fellows/trainees was undertaken, which revealed a gap in preparation for the transition from fellowship to practice. In particular, respondents expressed a desire to better understand issues related to practice skills, including health care economics, billing/coding, contract negotiation, and health policy. In addition, some trainees felt uncomfortable bringing questions about their private practice job search to academic faculty, who in turn may not have the necessary experience to provide answers regarding various private practice models and opportunities. Furthermore, fellows have little time and opportunity to learn about the rapidly shifting health care environment that will directly affect their future GI practice. To address these unmet needs, the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (in partnership with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee) developed a workshop to educate fellows and early career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, health care policy, and other pertinent topics.

These workshops were designed with a half-day curriculum and based regionally to facilitate attendance as well as to capture the local practice patterns in different regions. They were launched during the 2014-2015 academic year in three cities – Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago – and received extremely positive feedback from participants.

 

Since then, 16 additional workshops have been held in the following locations: Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia; Houston; San Diego; New York; Stanford, Calif.; Pinehurst, N.C.; and Iowa City, Iowa (simulcast). At various times, workshops were held in partnership with local societies such as the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology, and the Texas Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which offered additional opportunities for networking. Overall, the 19 regional practice skills workshops held over the last 4 years have reached 420 fellows and early career GIs.

The workshop agenda is focused on issues related to transitioning to life as an independent practitioner, which may not be adequately covered during training. The agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiations, health care reform, and work-life balance. Additional topics have been added to certain workshops to tailor it for the region, such as sessions in California related to working at Kaiser Permanente. Local leaders in private practice and regional health systems are often invited as speakers, presenting great opportunities for networking and potential job interviews. The workshops were primarily designed for second- and third-year fellows who are embarking on the job search. However, our feedback shows that medical residents interested in GI as well as early career practitioners also find the material very relevant because it describes the breadth of job possibilities and practical tips for a successful career. As the workshops have evolved, additional topics have been added based on attendee feedback, including those on financial management (e.g., disability insurance, retirement planning), social media, and leadership. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and nonmembers.

Workshop attendees highly value the opportunity to network with other participants and pose questions to the speakers in person. However, in the past year we have also explored digitally streaming sessions with great success. In California, the workshop was streamed live from UCLA to an audience in Stanford and Iowa, who were also able to interact with the speakers remotely. The live streaming was very well received, as it offered increased access with the opportunity for real-time interactions with speakers. Based on the positive feedback, we are expanding its use in this current cycle, with the workshop in Ohio on Feb. 16 slated to be the first to be streamed live across the country. We also anticipate making the stream of the upcoming workshop in Boston on March 30 available to all interested fellows and early career GIs in the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Recognizing that the content delivered in these workshops will not change significantly over short periods of time, the highest-rated sessions have been archived on the AGA website for viewing off-line. This allows select content to be viewed on demand by those who cannot attend the live workshops or those who want a refresher course prior to their actual job interview. The current library of 23 videos from various workshop presentations is available on the AGA website and social media platforms and have already generated 1,863 views. To view some of the more recent videos, click here.

 

Moving forward, we anticipate hosting ongoing workshops at large regional sites, in collaboration with local GI societies, while also continuing to offer live streaming for those who cannot attend in person. We will also expand our library of on-demand content for remote viewing. We look forward to reaching trainees and early career GIs across the country and providing the most relevant and up-to-date materials. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops. As the workshops evolve, we welcome your input regarding additional topics or new formats for presenting the material. If you are interested in having a workshop hosted in your city, please let us know! Contact Carol Brown, senior manager of constituency programs, at cbrown@gastro.org.

Dr. Ketwaroo is assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine, and therapeutic endoscopist, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston. Dr. Liang is instructor of medicine, division of gastroenterology, NYU Langone Health, and staff physician, VA New York Harbor Health Care System. Ms. Brown is senior manager of constituency programs, AGA. Ms. NuQuay is senior director, member relations and constituency programs, AGA.

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee was formed in 2013 to address the needs of those at the beginning of their careers in gastroenterology. The committee is composed of 12 trainee and early career members, whose mission is to develop and support programs relevant to the needs of young clinicians and researchers in the field of GI. In an initial needs assessment, a survey of GI fellows/trainees was undertaken, which revealed a gap in preparation for the transition from fellowship to practice. In particular, respondents expressed a desire to better understand issues related to practice skills, including health care economics, billing/coding, contract negotiation, and health policy. In addition, some trainees felt uncomfortable bringing questions about their private practice job search to academic faculty, who in turn may not have the necessary experience to provide answers regarding various private practice models and opportunities. Furthermore, fellows have little time and opportunity to learn about the rapidly shifting health care environment that will directly affect their future GI practice. To address these unmet needs, the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (in partnership with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee) developed a workshop to educate fellows and early career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, health care policy, and other pertinent topics.

These workshops were designed with a half-day curriculum and based regionally to facilitate attendance as well as to capture the local practice patterns in different regions. They were launched during the 2014-2015 academic year in three cities – Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago – and received extremely positive feedback from participants.

 

Since then, 16 additional workshops have been held in the following locations: Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia; Houston; San Diego; New York; Stanford, Calif.; Pinehurst, N.C.; and Iowa City, Iowa (simulcast). At various times, workshops were held in partnership with local societies such as the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology, and the Texas Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which offered additional opportunities for networking. Overall, the 19 regional practice skills workshops held over the last 4 years have reached 420 fellows and early career GIs.

The workshop agenda is focused on issues related to transitioning to life as an independent practitioner, which may not be adequately covered during training. The agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiations, health care reform, and work-life balance. Additional topics have been added to certain workshops to tailor it for the region, such as sessions in California related to working at Kaiser Permanente. Local leaders in private practice and regional health systems are often invited as speakers, presenting great opportunities for networking and potential job interviews. The workshops were primarily designed for second- and third-year fellows who are embarking on the job search. However, our feedback shows that medical residents interested in GI as well as early career practitioners also find the material very relevant because it describes the breadth of job possibilities and practical tips for a successful career. As the workshops have evolved, additional topics have been added based on attendee feedback, including those on financial management (e.g., disability insurance, retirement planning), social media, and leadership. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and nonmembers.

Workshop attendees highly value the opportunity to network with other participants and pose questions to the speakers in person. However, in the past year we have also explored digitally streaming sessions with great success. In California, the workshop was streamed live from UCLA to an audience in Stanford and Iowa, who were also able to interact with the speakers remotely. The live streaming was very well received, as it offered increased access with the opportunity for real-time interactions with speakers. Based on the positive feedback, we are expanding its use in this current cycle, with the workshop in Ohio on Feb. 16 slated to be the first to be streamed live across the country. We also anticipate making the stream of the upcoming workshop in Boston on March 30 available to all interested fellows and early career GIs in the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Recognizing that the content delivered in these workshops will not change significantly over short periods of time, the highest-rated sessions have been archived on the AGA website for viewing off-line. This allows select content to be viewed on demand by those who cannot attend the live workshops or those who want a refresher course prior to their actual job interview. The current library of 23 videos from various workshop presentations is available on the AGA website and social media platforms and have already generated 1,863 views. To view some of the more recent videos, click here.

 

Moving forward, we anticipate hosting ongoing workshops at large regional sites, in collaboration with local GI societies, while also continuing to offer live streaming for those who cannot attend in person. We will also expand our library of on-demand content for remote viewing. We look forward to reaching trainees and early career GIs across the country and providing the most relevant and up-to-date materials. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops. As the workshops evolve, we welcome your input regarding additional topics or new formats for presenting the material. If you are interested in having a workshop hosted in your city, please let us know! Contact Carol Brown, senior manager of constituency programs, at cbrown@gastro.org.

Dr. Ketwaroo is assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine, and therapeutic endoscopist, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston. Dr. Liang is instructor of medicine, division of gastroenterology, NYU Langone Health, and staff physician, VA New York Harbor Health Care System. Ms. Brown is senior manager of constituency programs, AGA. Ms. NuQuay is senior director, member relations and constituency programs, AGA.

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee was formed in 2013 to address the needs of those at the beginning of their careers in gastroenterology. The committee is composed of 12 trainee and early career members, whose mission is to develop and support programs relevant to the needs of young clinicians and researchers in the field of GI. In an initial needs assessment, a survey of GI fellows/trainees was undertaken, which revealed a gap in preparation for the transition from fellowship to practice. In particular, respondents expressed a desire to better understand issues related to practice skills, including health care economics, billing/coding, contract negotiation, and health policy. In addition, some trainees felt uncomfortable bringing questions about their private practice job search to academic faculty, who in turn may not have the necessary experience to provide answers regarding various private practice models and opportunities. Furthermore, fellows have little time and opportunity to learn about the rapidly shifting health care environment that will directly affect their future GI practice. To address these unmet needs, the AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (in partnership with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee) developed a workshop to educate fellows and early career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, health care policy, and other pertinent topics.

These workshops were designed with a half-day curriculum and based regionally to facilitate attendance as well as to capture the local practice patterns in different regions. They were launched during the 2014-2015 academic year in three cities – Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago – and received extremely positive feedback from participants.

 

Since then, 16 additional workshops have been held in the following locations: Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia; Houston; San Diego; New York; Stanford, Calif.; Pinehurst, N.C.; and Iowa City, Iowa (simulcast). At various times, workshops were held in partnership with local societies such as the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology, and the Texas Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, which offered additional opportunities for networking. Overall, the 19 regional practice skills workshops held over the last 4 years have reached 420 fellows and early career GIs.

The workshop agenda is focused on issues related to transitioning to life as an independent practitioner, which may not be adequately covered during training. The agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiations, health care reform, and work-life balance. Additional topics have been added to certain workshops to tailor it for the region, such as sessions in California related to working at Kaiser Permanente. Local leaders in private practice and regional health systems are often invited as speakers, presenting great opportunities for networking and potential job interviews. The workshops were primarily designed for second- and third-year fellows who are embarking on the job search. However, our feedback shows that medical residents interested in GI as well as early career practitioners also find the material very relevant because it describes the breadth of job possibilities and practical tips for a successful career. As the workshops have evolved, additional topics have been added based on attendee feedback, including those on financial management (e.g., disability insurance, retirement planning), social media, and leadership. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and nonmembers.

Workshop attendees highly value the opportunity to network with other participants and pose questions to the speakers in person. However, in the past year we have also explored digitally streaming sessions with great success. In California, the workshop was streamed live from UCLA to an audience in Stanford and Iowa, who were also able to interact with the speakers remotely. The live streaming was very well received, as it offered increased access with the opportunity for real-time interactions with speakers. Based on the positive feedback, we are expanding its use in this current cycle, with the workshop in Ohio on Feb. 16 slated to be the first to be streamed live across the country. We also anticipate making the stream of the upcoming workshop in Boston on March 30 available to all interested fellows and early career GIs in the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Recognizing that the content delivered in these workshops will not change significantly over short periods of time, the highest-rated sessions have been archived on the AGA website for viewing off-line. This allows select content to be viewed on demand by those who cannot attend the live workshops or those who want a refresher course prior to their actual job interview. The current library of 23 videos from various workshop presentations is available on the AGA website and social media platforms and have already generated 1,863 views. To view some of the more recent videos, click here.

 

Moving forward, we anticipate hosting ongoing workshops at large regional sites, in collaboration with local GI societies, while also continuing to offer live streaming for those who cannot attend in person. We will also expand our library of on-demand content for remote viewing. We look forward to reaching trainees and early career GIs across the country and providing the most relevant and up-to-date materials. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops. As the workshops evolve, we welcome your input regarding additional topics or new formats for presenting the material. If you are interested in having a workshop hosted in your city, please let us know! Contact Carol Brown, senior manager of constituency programs, at cbrown@gastro.org.

Dr. Ketwaroo is assistant professor, Baylor College of Medicine, and therapeutic endoscopist, Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston. Dr. Liang is instructor of medicine, division of gastroenterology, NYU Langone Health, and staff physician, VA New York Harbor Health Care System. Ms. Brown is senior manager of constituency programs, AGA. Ms. NuQuay is senior director, member relations and constituency programs, AGA.

 

AGA’s focus on young GIs

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (formerly Trainee and Young GI Committee) is composed of 12 trainee and early-career AGA members and meets twice a year to develop programs and events specifically targeted to trainees and gastroenterologists (GIs) in their first five years out of fellowship training. The committee was formed by the AGA in February 2013 to address the specific needs of early-career GI professionals and to develop programs to expose younger members to all that the AGA has to offer. The new committee also became a creative space to organize efforts to increase membership among early-career GIs. Trainee and Early Career Committee members are selected for 2-year terms and represent fellowship training programs, universities, and practices from around the nation. Each committee member serves simultaneously on one other AGA committee, which gives young GIs additional opportunities for leadership roles. The committee meets regularly with AGA staff and a governing board liaison to discuss committee goals and the issues most relevant to physicians during and directly after GI fellowship training. The committee also provides feedback to other committees about how programs and initiatives might involve or impact GI fellows and recent graduates. The result is a unique focus group where young GIs from all over the country work collectively to improve the young GI experience through flagship programs like the Regional Practice Skills Workshop, the Young Delegates Program, and Trainee and Early Career events at Digestive Disease Week (DDW)®.

AGA Regional Practice Skills Workshops

In a 2013 AGA survey of GI fellows, trainees expressed a strong desire to have more preparation and training for the transition from fellowship to practice. Consequently, the Trainee and Early Career Committee partnered with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee to develop a free half-day workshop to educate fellows and early-career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, and more. The AGA launched pilot Regional Practice Skills workshops in three cities in the 2014-2015 cycle, and received extremely positive feedback from participants. In 2015-2016, the program was expanded to five cities and feedback from the 130 participants was overwhelmingly encouraging. In 2016-2017, we held workshops in New York City, Houston, San Francisco, and Pinehurst, North Carolina. We were excited to partner with the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology to hold workshops in those two locations.

The workshop agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiation, health care reform, financial planning, and work-life balance. The program is geared toward second- and third-year fellows, recent fellowship graduates, and those considering a job or career change. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and non-members. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops.
 

The AGA Young Delegates program

Interest in becoming involved in the AGA is on the rise among young GIs. In response, our committee launched the AGA Young Delegates program in 2015 to provide a mechanism for young GIs to engage with the AGA in a more flexible way. The objective of the program is to foster microvolunteerism, which allows individuals the chance to participate in short, project-based assignments with flexible deadlines. All projects are offered and conducted online, eliminating the need to travel to in-person meetings as formal committee memberships require. The AGA maintains a database of Young Delegates and attempts to offer each delegate projects that fit their expressed interests. In the last year, we have enrolled 70 Young Delegates—many of whom attended a successful meet and greet event at DDW—and have offered 20 volunteer opportunities. The list of opportunities is constantly growing and has included beta testing DDSEP 8® questions, serving as abstract reviewers for fellow DDW sessions, participation in the AGA microbiome project, and helping with the Regional Practice Skills workshops.

The AGA highly values the efforts of our Young Delegates, and the Trainee and Early Career Committee considers them a talent pool from which we can elicit input, select committee members, and find future leaders. More importantly, we hope that the program allows young AGA members to increasingly engage with the AGA to refresh, improve, and strengthen the society. To become a Young Delegate, please visit www.gastro.org/youngdelegates to provide us with your information.
 

 

Trainee and early career GIs at DDW

The Trainee and Early Career Committee sponsors several events at DDW to bring together fellows and early-career GIs from all over the country. Each year, our committee hosts a DDW Trainee and Early Career symposium to provide practical advice for early-career GIs from all practice settings. Our DDW 2016 symposium was entitled “Surviving The First Years in Clinical Practice – Roundtable with the Experts,” and featured prominent leaders who shared career perspectives with attendees through formal presentations and more casual discussion. Attendees gained insider tips on how to design and run a fiscally prosperous practice, coding and documentation, and building and maintaining a clinical practice referral base from expert AGA leaders. We are now in the process of planning the DDW 2017 Trainee and Early Career symposium that will focus on “The Road to Leadership in GI.”

There are also several informal networking events at DDW to encourage community building among young GIs. DDW 2016 premiered the Trainee and Early Career GI Lounge, which provided a physical space in the San Diego Convention Center for trainees and early-career GIs to meet and have refreshments between sessions. The AGA also offered free professional headshots, a great perk for individuals beginning their professional careers. The Trainee and Early Career GI Networking Event is the highlight social event at DDW for many who look forward to seeing friends and colleagues from all over the nation and meeting other young GIs over appetizers and drinks. In San Diego, we reached maximum capacity for our House of Blues event, and plans are already underway for our Chicago networking event.
 

Come join us!

The success of the AGA depends on the 16,000 members who volunteer their time for committees, councils, and the governing board. Since its inception, the Trainee and Early Career Committee has allowed young GIs to have a role in the AGA as well as benefit from all of the resources that the AGA has to offer in leadership training, networking, and career preparation. In the past three years, participation of young GIs in the Trainee and Early Career Committee events has been on the rise, which we hope is a reflection of our efforts to address the educational needs of early GIs and the transition from fellowship to practice. We would love to see more fellows and early-career GIs involved!

For more information about the Trainee and Early Career committee, becoming a committee member, and our programs, please visit http://www.gastro.org/trainees. If you have any ideas that you think the committee should consider, please let us know at trainees@gastro.org.
 

Dr. Liang is an instructor in the division of gastroenterology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, and an attending physician in the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York. Dr. Kushner is a transplant hepatology fellow in the division of gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. May is assistant professor in the division of digestive diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and an attending physician in the department of gastroenterology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles.

 

AGA’s focus on young GIs

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (formerly Trainee and Young GI Committee) is composed of 12 trainee and early-career AGA members and meets twice a year to develop programs and events specifically targeted to trainees and gastroenterologists (GIs) in their first five years out of fellowship training. The committee was formed by the AGA in February 2013 to address the specific needs of early-career GI professionals and to develop programs to expose younger members to all that the AGA has to offer. The new committee also became a creative space to organize efforts to increase membership among early-career GIs. Trainee and Early Career Committee members are selected for 2-year terms and represent fellowship training programs, universities, and practices from around the nation. Each committee member serves simultaneously on one other AGA committee, which gives young GIs additional opportunities for leadership roles. The committee meets regularly with AGA staff and a governing board liaison to discuss committee goals and the issues most relevant to physicians during and directly after GI fellowship training. The committee also provides feedback to other committees about how programs and initiatives might involve or impact GI fellows and recent graduates. The result is a unique focus group where young GIs from all over the country work collectively to improve the young GI experience through flagship programs like the Regional Practice Skills Workshop, the Young Delegates Program, and Trainee and Early Career events at Digestive Disease Week (DDW)®.

AGA Regional Practice Skills Workshops

In a 2013 AGA survey of GI fellows, trainees expressed a strong desire to have more preparation and training for the transition from fellowship to practice. Consequently, the Trainee and Early Career Committee partnered with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee to develop a free half-day workshop to educate fellows and early-career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, and more. The AGA launched pilot Regional Practice Skills workshops in three cities in the 2014-2015 cycle, and received extremely positive feedback from participants. In 2015-2016, the program was expanded to five cities and feedback from the 130 participants was overwhelmingly encouraging. In 2016-2017, we held workshops in New York City, Houston, San Francisco, and Pinehurst, North Carolina. We were excited to partner with the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology to hold workshops in those two locations.

The workshop agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiation, health care reform, financial planning, and work-life balance. The program is geared toward second- and third-year fellows, recent fellowship graduates, and those considering a job or career change. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and non-members. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops.
 

The AGA Young Delegates program

Interest in becoming involved in the AGA is on the rise among young GIs. In response, our committee launched the AGA Young Delegates program in 2015 to provide a mechanism for young GIs to engage with the AGA in a more flexible way. The objective of the program is to foster microvolunteerism, which allows individuals the chance to participate in short, project-based assignments with flexible deadlines. All projects are offered and conducted online, eliminating the need to travel to in-person meetings as formal committee memberships require. The AGA maintains a database of Young Delegates and attempts to offer each delegate projects that fit their expressed interests. In the last year, we have enrolled 70 Young Delegates—many of whom attended a successful meet and greet event at DDW—and have offered 20 volunteer opportunities. The list of opportunities is constantly growing and has included beta testing DDSEP 8® questions, serving as abstract reviewers for fellow DDW sessions, participation in the AGA microbiome project, and helping with the Regional Practice Skills workshops.

The AGA highly values the efforts of our Young Delegates, and the Trainee and Early Career Committee considers them a talent pool from which we can elicit input, select committee members, and find future leaders. More importantly, we hope that the program allows young AGA members to increasingly engage with the AGA to refresh, improve, and strengthen the society. To become a Young Delegate, please visit www.gastro.org/youngdelegates to provide us with your information.
 

 

Trainee and early career GIs at DDW

The Trainee and Early Career Committee sponsors several events at DDW to bring together fellows and early-career GIs from all over the country. Each year, our committee hosts a DDW Trainee and Early Career symposium to provide practical advice for early-career GIs from all practice settings. Our DDW 2016 symposium was entitled “Surviving The First Years in Clinical Practice – Roundtable with the Experts,” and featured prominent leaders who shared career perspectives with attendees through formal presentations and more casual discussion. Attendees gained insider tips on how to design and run a fiscally prosperous practice, coding and documentation, and building and maintaining a clinical practice referral base from expert AGA leaders. We are now in the process of planning the DDW 2017 Trainee and Early Career symposium that will focus on “The Road to Leadership in GI.”

There are also several informal networking events at DDW to encourage community building among young GIs. DDW 2016 premiered the Trainee and Early Career GI Lounge, which provided a physical space in the San Diego Convention Center for trainees and early-career GIs to meet and have refreshments between sessions. The AGA also offered free professional headshots, a great perk for individuals beginning their professional careers. The Trainee and Early Career GI Networking Event is the highlight social event at DDW for many who look forward to seeing friends and colleagues from all over the nation and meeting other young GIs over appetizers and drinks. In San Diego, we reached maximum capacity for our House of Blues event, and plans are already underway for our Chicago networking event.
 

Come join us!

The success of the AGA depends on the 16,000 members who volunteer their time for committees, councils, and the governing board. Since its inception, the Trainee and Early Career Committee has allowed young GIs to have a role in the AGA as well as benefit from all of the resources that the AGA has to offer in leadership training, networking, and career preparation. In the past three years, participation of young GIs in the Trainee and Early Career Committee events has been on the rise, which we hope is a reflection of our efforts to address the educational needs of early GIs and the transition from fellowship to practice. We would love to see more fellows and early-career GIs involved!

For more information about the Trainee and Early Career committee, becoming a committee member, and our programs, please visit http://www.gastro.org/trainees. If you have any ideas that you think the committee should consider, please let us know at trainees@gastro.org.
 

Dr. Liang is an instructor in the division of gastroenterology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, and an attending physician in the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York. Dr. Kushner is a transplant hepatology fellow in the division of gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. May is assistant professor in the division of digestive diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and an attending physician in the department of gastroenterology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles.

 

AGA’s focus on young GIs

The AGA Trainee and Early Career Committee (formerly Trainee and Young GI Committee) is composed of 12 trainee and early-career AGA members and meets twice a year to develop programs and events specifically targeted to trainees and gastroenterologists (GIs) in their first five years out of fellowship training. The committee was formed by the AGA in February 2013 to address the specific needs of early-career GI professionals and to develop programs to expose younger members to all that the AGA has to offer. The new committee also became a creative space to organize efforts to increase membership among early-career GIs. Trainee and Early Career Committee members are selected for 2-year terms and represent fellowship training programs, universities, and practices from around the nation. Each committee member serves simultaneously on one other AGA committee, which gives young GIs additional opportunities for leadership roles. The committee meets regularly with AGA staff and a governing board liaison to discuss committee goals and the issues most relevant to physicians during and directly after GI fellowship training. The committee also provides feedback to other committees about how programs and initiatives might involve or impact GI fellows and recent graduates. The result is a unique focus group where young GIs from all over the country work collectively to improve the young GI experience through flagship programs like the Regional Practice Skills Workshop, the Young Delegates Program, and Trainee and Early Career events at Digestive Disease Week (DDW)®.

AGA Regional Practice Skills Workshops

In a 2013 AGA survey of GI fellows, trainees expressed a strong desire to have more preparation and training for the transition from fellowship to practice. Consequently, the Trainee and Early Career Committee partnered with the Practice Management and Economics Committee as well as the Education and Training Committee to develop a free half-day workshop to educate fellows and early-career GIs about practice and employment models, contracts and negotiations, compliance, and more. The AGA launched pilot Regional Practice Skills workshops in three cities in the 2014-2015 cycle, and received extremely positive feedback from participants. In 2015-2016, the program was expanded to five cities and feedback from the 130 participants was overwhelmingly encouraging. In 2016-2017, we held workshops in New York City, Houston, San Francisco, and Pinehurst, North Carolina. We were excited to partner with the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the North Carolina Society of Gastroenterology to hold workshops in those two locations.

The workshop agenda is similar across locations and includes sessions on career options in research and clinical practice, how to evaluate a job, contract negotiation, health care reform, financial planning, and work-life balance. The program is geared toward second- and third-year fellows, recent fellowship graduates, and those considering a job or career change. All workshops include catered meals and are free to both AGA members and non-members. Those interested in attending one of the workshops can find more information at http://www.gastro.org/trainees. The Trainee and Early Career committee is also looking to expand to additional cities in future years so that more trainees and early-career GIs can participate in these workshops.
 

The AGA Young Delegates program

Interest in becoming involved in the AGA is on the rise among young GIs. In response, our committee launched the AGA Young Delegates program in 2015 to provide a mechanism for young GIs to engage with the AGA in a more flexible way. The objective of the program is to foster microvolunteerism, which allows individuals the chance to participate in short, project-based assignments with flexible deadlines. All projects are offered and conducted online, eliminating the need to travel to in-person meetings as formal committee memberships require. The AGA maintains a database of Young Delegates and attempts to offer each delegate projects that fit their expressed interests. In the last year, we have enrolled 70 Young Delegates—many of whom attended a successful meet and greet event at DDW—and have offered 20 volunteer opportunities. The list of opportunities is constantly growing and has included beta testing DDSEP 8® questions, serving as abstract reviewers for fellow DDW sessions, participation in the AGA microbiome project, and helping with the Regional Practice Skills workshops.

The AGA highly values the efforts of our Young Delegates, and the Trainee and Early Career Committee considers them a talent pool from which we can elicit input, select committee members, and find future leaders. More importantly, we hope that the program allows young AGA members to increasingly engage with the AGA to refresh, improve, and strengthen the society. To become a Young Delegate, please visit www.gastro.org/youngdelegates to provide us with your information.
 

 

Trainee and early career GIs at DDW

The Trainee and Early Career Committee sponsors several events at DDW to bring together fellows and early-career GIs from all over the country. Each year, our committee hosts a DDW Trainee and Early Career symposium to provide practical advice for early-career GIs from all practice settings. Our DDW 2016 symposium was entitled “Surviving The First Years in Clinical Practice – Roundtable with the Experts,” and featured prominent leaders who shared career perspectives with attendees through formal presentations and more casual discussion. Attendees gained insider tips on how to design and run a fiscally prosperous practice, coding and documentation, and building and maintaining a clinical practice referral base from expert AGA leaders. We are now in the process of planning the DDW 2017 Trainee and Early Career symposium that will focus on “The Road to Leadership in GI.”

There are also several informal networking events at DDW to encourage community building among young GIs. DDW 2016 premiered the Trainee and Early Career GI Lounge, which provided a physical space in the San Diego Convention Center for trainees and early-career GIs to meet and have refreshments between sessions. The AGA also offered free professional headshots, a great perk for individuals beginning their professional careers. The Trainee and Early Career GI Networking Event is the highlight social event at DDW for many who look forward to seeing friends and colleagues from all over the nation and meeting other young GIs over appetizers and drinks. In San Diego, we reached maximum capacity for our House of Blues event, and plans are already underway for our Chicago networking event.
 

Come join us!

The success of the AGA depends on the 16,000 members who volunteer their time for committees, councils, and the governing board. Since its inception, the Trainee and Early Career Committee has allowed young GIs to have a role in the AGA as well as benefit from all of the resources that the AGA has to offer in leadership training, networking, and career preparation. In the past three years, participation of young GIs in the Trainee and Early Career Committee events has been on the rise, which we hope is a reflection of our efforts to address the educational needs of early GIs and the transition from fellowship to practice. We would love to see more fellows and early-career GIs involved!

For more information about the Trainee and Early Career committee, becoming a committee member, and our programs, please visit http://www.gastro.org/trainees. If you have any ideas that you think the committee should consider, please let us know at trainees@gastro.org.
 

Dr. Liang is an instructor in the division of gastroenterology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, and an attending physician in the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, New York. Dr. Kushner is a transplant hepatology fellow in the division of gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. May is assistant professor in the division of digestive diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and an attending physician in the department of gastroenterology in the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles.