American Physician Scientists Association
Encyclopedia
The American Physician Scientists Association is dedicated to career development and community building among physician-scientists in training.
-scientists with respect to their training and career development. The APSA strives to be the student physician-scientists' leading voice for improving educational opportunities, advancing patient-oriented research, and advocating for the future of translational medicine. In this regard, it carries out local and national initiatives, provides student leadership opportunities, facilitates communication between physician-scientist trainees, and hosts a joint annual meeting for its members. It also collaborates with leading research and health organizations, including the National Institutes of Health
.
The APSA is led by an Executive Council made up of twelve positions filled by elected members. Executive Council members are voted in by Institutional Representatives. These are physician-scientist trainees and APSA members who serve as liaisons between students at local institutions and the APSA leadership. Institutional Representatives help the Executive Council better grasp the needs of trainees at their local institutions. Members of the APSA have the opportunity to serve on any of the organization's five standing committees, each of which has a unique role within the organization to help it achieve its mission. The APSA also works with numerous partner organizations and supporters.
students. Since then, the organization has expanded rapidly, and is now officially represented at almost 100 institutions across the U.S. Its growing membership has helped make it the largest organization specifically representing physician-scientist trainees.
and the Association of American Physicians
in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting serves as an opportunity for mentoring and networking across the entire spectrum of the physician-scientist career pathway, including career development sessions and panels. A number of prominent speakers are also featured, as well as a formal dinner. Several dozen competitive travel grants are typically available for APSA members who wish to present at the meeting. The Annual Meeting is also when the Executive Council of APSA meets to conduct a yearly review and propose future initiatives, and voting is held for positions on next year's Executive Council.
Starting in 2006, the APSA began hosting regional meetings and currently hosts four in the fall of each year in cities across the United States. The primary focus of these regional meetings is on building a regional community of physician-scientist trainees and focusing on outreach to current and future trainees who are unable to attend the Annual Meeting.
2010 APSA Regional Meetings:
Organization & Purpose
The American Physician Scientists Association (APSA) is a national organization dedicated to addressing the needs of future physicianPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
-scientists with respect to their training and career development. The APSA strives to be the student physician-scientists' leading voice for improving educational opportunities, advancing patient-oriented research, and advocating for the future of translational medicine. In this regard, it carries out local and national initiatives, provides student leadership opportunities, facilitates communication between physician-scientist trainees, and hosts a joint annual meeting for its members. It also collaborates with leading research and health organizations, including the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
.
The APSA is led by an Executive Council made up of twelve positions filled by elected members. Executive Council members are voted in by Institutional Representatives. These are physician-scientist trainees and APSA members who serve as liaisons between students at local institutions and the APSA leadership. Institutional Representatives help the Executive Council better grasp the needs of trainees at their local institutions. Members of the APSA have the opportunity to serve on any of the organization's five standing committees, each of which has a unique role within the organization to help it achieve its mission. The APSA also works with numerous partner organizations and supporters.
History
The American Physician Scientists Association was initially conceived in 2003-2004 and formally incorporated in 2005 by a group of MD/PhDMD/PhD
MD/PhD refers to an education which includes both the medical training of a physician with the rigor of a scientific researcher . It can refer to the designation given to a person who has graduated from such an education, or an educational program which incorporates both curricula.-Profession:An...
students. Since then, the organization has expanded rapidly, and is now officially represented at almost 100 institutions across the U.S. Its growing membership has helped make it the largest organization specifically representing physician-scientist trainees.
Meetings
The APSA has held its Annual Meeting since April 2005 in conjunction with the American Society for Clinical InvestigationAmerican Society for Clinical Investigation
The American Society for Clinical Investigation, or ASCI, established in 1908, is one of the nation's oldest and most respected medical honor societies.-Organization and Purpose:...
and the Association of American Physicians
Association of American Physicians
The Association of American Physicians is a medical society founded in 1885 by the Canadian physician Sir William Osler and six other distinguished physicians of his era, for "the advancement of scientific and practical medicine." Election to the AAP is an honor extended to individuals with...
in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting serves as an opportunity for mentoring and networking across the entire spectrum of the physician-scientist career pathway, including career development sessions and panels. A number of prominent speakers are also featured, as well as a formal dinner. Several dozen competitive travel grants are typically available for APSA members who wish to present at the meeting. The Annual Meeting is also when the Executive Council of APSA meets to conduct a yearly review and propose future initiatives, and voting is held for positions on next year's Executive Council.
Starting in 2006, the APSA began hosting regional meetings and currently hosts four in the fall of each year in cities across the United States. The primary focus of these regional meetings is on building a regional community of physician-scientist trainees and focusing on outreach to current and future trainees who are unable to attend the Annual Meeting.
2010 APSA Regional Meetings:
- South East Regional Meeting - Birmingham, AL - October 9, 2010
- Midwest Regional Meeting - Columbus, OH - October 30, 2010
- South Regional Meeting - College Station, TX - November 13, 2010
- North East Regional Meeting - New York, NY - November 20, 2010