Summary of

AAMC/CAS and BioMedical Caucus meetings 2006

A. AAMC/CAS

Miami, March 16-18, 2006

“Increasing Physician Supply;

Enhancing Quality Medical

Education”

1) Session on “Organization of Basic Science Research”

• Consolidation into a big department adversely affects career development and faculty representation at the institutional level.

• Healthiest institutions are those where research and education faculty are the same people.

2) Sessions on “Faculty Development”

• Some institutions are jointly recruiting with clinical departments, giving basic science faculty an immediate joint appointment in order to facilitate collaborations.

3) Sessions on “Physician Supply Issues”

• Need a 15-30% growth in allopathic workforce to maintain current level of 292 physicians/100,000 population.

• Addition of more international medical graduates and/or osteopathic physicians was discussed

B. National Caucus of Basic BioMedical Science Chairs (with Mike Shipley)

Washington, D.C.

June 27-29, 2006

1) Some members met with a staff member of Senators Harkin, Frist (Majority Leader), Reid (Minority Leader), DeWine, Durbin, Clinton, Obama, and McCain; Congressmen Lewis (Chair Appropriations), Regula (Chair NIH Appropriations Subcommittee, Castle, Congresswoman Granger.

Major points:

a. Inform them of major scientific

accomplishments in the fight against disease resulting from the recent NIH budget doubling.

b. Let them know that in spite of a very

tight Federal budget, NIH budget must grow annually in order to sustain the momentum of new discoveries in health research and to avoid negating previous proposed increases. We emphasized that they must do this so that the best of our young people will enthusiastically choose biomedical science as a career in order to help improve the health of our people.

c. Stress the dependence of innovation

in science and technology in the future of the country’s prosperity.

2) Met with NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and urged enhanced support for investigator-initiated RO1 grants. We also urged him to not only seek an optimal balance

between clinical and basic research but also individual and team scientists.

3) Tony Mazzaschi told us about changes in basic science department that affect us.

• On-line versus hard-copy publications.

• Occasional verbal and written

harassment and physical violence

against investigators using animals for

research.

4) All unanimously urged scientists to be more proactive in stressing the importance of their own departments and institutions achievements in health research with their political

representatives in their home districts. Also, opinion editorials by scientists in

their local press was also advocated.

C. AAMC National Meeting

Seattle, October 27 – Nov 1, 2006

“Pursuing Excellence, Creating Value”

1) President Darrell G. Kirch“In Search of the Public Good”

• Reaffirmed higher education, scientific discovery and health care as “public goods” worthy of more national support.

• Medical schools should elevate the public good over their own self-interest.

Tuition caps for med students

• Because of average debt of new MDs

is $120,000, >60% come from families in upper ¼ of income nationally.

scholarships as incentives for MDs to work in underserved areas.

Curtail pork-barrel spending requests.

• Many institutions aggressively pursue these legislative earmarks.

Pursue socially beneficial research projects that may or may not be profitable.

2) Outgoing AAMC Chair, Thomas M. Priselac.

• Academic medical centers must maintain, and in some cases rebuild public trust amid political and societal change.

- Embrace public call for accountability

- Become involved in debates over

health care costs, conflicts of

interests, should teaching

hospitals still be tax-exempt.

3) Keynote speaker Jim Collins

• Stay true to our core values related to improving health outcomes and discovering new treatments.

• “It’s all about getting the right people

on the bus.” In order to do so

“medical education must be available

to the best people not just the best of

the wealthy.”

4) NY Times columnist David Brooks

• Health care issues may not immediately be a top priority for Congress regardless of the party control.