Message from the SOMP Chair

Your AAP Section on Med-Peds executive committee is extremely interested in hearing about ways that we can help you, whether you are a practicing physician (primary care, academia, subspecialist, or hospitalist), a trainee, or a student. We collaborate closely with the leadership of the National Med-Peds Residents Association (NMPRA) and the Med-Peds Program Directors' Association (MPPDA) to address issues that affect Med-Peds at all levels, from the pipeline of students interested in joining our field all the way through practitioners recertifying through Maintenance of Certification.

We currently have interest groups that include the med-peds practice and the students/residents/young physicians’ group. We welcome any interested members of the Section to join these interest groups.

The goals of our Section are to promote and advance the work of our dual-trained physicians through advocacy, education, communication, and research. Initiatives include:

• Active discussions and engagement toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. We want to ensure that we are addressing the needs of the members, looking for opportunities to have the voice of MedPeds represented in various AAP and ACP committees both nationally and regionally as well as supporting our MedPeds colleagues.
• Advocating on behalf of our practitioners to our parent boards, especially in the area of maintenance of certification.
• Improving the workforce pipeline by educating future physicians about careers in Med-Peds. This includes improving resources for early career MedPeds (especially mentoring).
• Continuing to perform and publish data on the Med-Peds workforce to inform employers, deans, and policy makers of our valuable contribution to the health system.
• Providing CME courses with topics of interest to Med-Peds clinicians and trainees.
• Focusing on Physician health and wellness and to provide on the SOMP website and via the Physician Health and Wellness Booth resources or strategies to address the demands of our profession and factors contributing to burnout.

Please get in touch with us if you are interested in joining one of these activities, or you wish to propose another initiative for the Section to pursue. I am excited to begin this journey with such a talented group of people. With your help, I look forward to continuing the success that Med-Peds has experienced over the last 50 years!​

Jayne Barr, MD, MPH, FAAP
Chairperson
Section on Med-Peds