The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is pleased to announce grant funds that will be made available to chapters for the specific purposes of planning young physician (age 40 or younger and/or in the first 5 years of practice), resident and medical student outreach activities..
The AAP recognizes the need for young members to become involved with the Academy and lead a new generation of advocates for children. In an effort to encourage creative and substantive ways to expand the active participation of young members in the Academy, the Section on Young Physicians (SOYP) and the Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees (SOMSRFT) have been allocated $40,000 to be distributed amongst the chapters for activities relating to the recruitment and retention of young physicians, residents and medical students. Many of our young members have indicated a need for programs and meetings at the local level and the SOYP and the SOMSRFT recognize that chapters are best suited to carry out such activities.
Chapters should choose one of the following groups to focus on when completing the application. If funds are available, your chapter may be awarded multiple grants (not to exceed one per member group).
Young physician grant funds will be awarded to chapters best able to demonstrate the development of an activity/event in the year 2009 with a focus on any or all of the following:
- recruiting and retaining young physicians into their local chapter
- promoting chapter and national membership to young physicians
- providing leadership and/or child advocacy opportunities to young physicians
- increasing overall active involvement in the Academy
Resident grant funds will be awarded to chapters best able to demonstrate the development of an activity/event in the year 2009 with a focus on any or all of the following:
- recruiting and retaining residents into their local chapter
- promoting chapter and national membership to residents
- providing leadership and/or child advocacy opportunities to residents
- increasing overall active involvement in the Academy
Medical student grant funds will be awarded to chapters best able to demonstrate the development of an activity/event in the year 2009 with a focus on any or all of the following:
- promoting pediatrics to medical students
- providing leadership and/or child advocacy opportunities to young physicians
- increasing overall active involvement in the Academy
This means that you should be creative! Qualifying activities may be in the form of a single event, several events over the year, an activity occurring over a specified time period, or the establishment of a young physician chapter committee. Those activities which seem to have more sustainability will be given higher priority. The following list includes some successful examples of activities/events that chapters have done in the past.
- young physician picnic - include activities for children
- dinner event with a speaker on a specific topic (i.e. financial planning, career development, mentorship)
- a one day seminar on a specific topic (i.e. basic office management skills)
- host a job fair for residents
- host a pediatric interest group day for medical students
Tips and tricks to getting more young physicians, residents and medical students to attend:
- make sure you are utilizing the young physicians, residents and medical students in your chapter to determine topics, where to meet, etc.
- make an announcement at your local residency program's noon conference and/or with the medical school's pediatric clerkship director
- go to the residency program and present (be sure to bring along chapter leadership)
- host in conjunction with your annual meeting
- dont' forget about the Young Physicians Guide for AAP Chapters
The deadline for this year has passed. Please check back in January for the 2010 Chapter Grant Outreach programs.
If you have any questions about this exciting program, please contact Bridgette Mathis.
Thank you to the AAP Friends of Children Fund for their continued support of this program!
