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Dear Subspecialty Program Director, I am writing as the appointed President of the newly formed Association of Anesthesiology Subspecialty Program Directors (AASPD) to invite you to become a member. The Society of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs (SAAC) and Association of Anesthesiology Program Directors (AAPD) have restructured to recognize ACGME-designated core program directors under the new Association of Anesthesiology Core Program Directors (AACPD) and subspecialty programs under AASPD. These groups will have formal membership under the new Society of Academic Anesthesiology Associations (SAAA). SAAC has restructured to include all chairs formerly in SAAC/AAPD into a new association called the Association of Academic Anesthesiology Chairs (AAAC), under SAAA. The Association of Anesthesiology Subspecialty Program Directors (AASPD) membership is open to subspecialty program directors of anesthesiology related fellowship programs in the United States that have been approved by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The current fellowships are in Pain Medicine, Critical Care, Pediatric Anesthesiology and Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology.
The organization, function and flavor of the SAAA (formerly SAAC/AAPD) Annual Meeting will not change. However, ACGME-designated subspecialty program directors will now be able attend as members. This year, the meeting will be held in Boston, November 6-8, 2009. During the Friday morning session, we will have the first business meeting of AASPD where we will review the new structure and elect the President-Elect and 5 council members. It is expected that there will be at least one council member from each of the four-subspecialty fellowship programs. AASPD will have formal representation on the Society of Academic Anesthesiology Associations’ Council and thus directly affect academic issues. The first issue we would like to discuss is a uniform fellowship application process, which has been requested by the 2006 ASA Resident Component House of Delegates and referred to SAAA by the ASA Committee on Academic Anesthesiology. Enclosed is an application to AASPD and a timeline of the formation of this new association. Please complete the AASPD membership application and fax to (847) 825-5658 at the SAAA office. On the application, please indicate your willingness to serve on the new AASPD Council if nominated and elected. It is an exciting time for academic anesthesiology. Please join AASPD now! Sincerely,
Linda J. Mason, M.D. |
