What an exciting time to be a young pediatrician! Not only has the AAP made a directed effort to increase young physician participation and satisfaction, but for the first time in decades our national government is focusing on Health Care Reform. The SOYP hopes to guide you through these transitions and help you find your role as a practicing pediatrician.

Every summer your district representatives on the SOYP Executive Committee attend the annual meetings with District leaders. We meet district and national AAP leaders, including the candidates for AAP President. We have the chance to offer advice on how chapters could get young physicians involved and constantly remind the districts when young physicians should be considered.

The SOYP Executive Committee has also participated in bimonthly conference calls with Dr. Palfrey, the current President of the AAP and other AAP leaders. One of the major topics of these calls has been Health Care Reform: updates from the Committee of Federal Government Affairs (COFGA) and discussions on how to get information to young pediatricians as well as getting young pediatrician voices heard. Health Care Reform summaries (the best brief summaries I have read so far) will soon be available on YP Connection.

This upcoming year the SOYP Executive Committee will be revisiting our strategic plan. I have the honor of being your section chair for that process. As you may remember from last year’s referendum, the SOYP Executive Committee now elects the chair of the section each year. As the District IX Representative, I hope that my becoming chair encourages other districts to think as progressively as District IX when it comes to young physician involvement. Our district has established young physician point persons for state advocacy, made the young physician representative an integral part of the board and added a young physician to the state pediatric council (a group of pediatricians and insurance company representatives working to resolve payment and other issues).

In order to continue forward-thinking, our section needs to hear from you, especially this year when, at the Annual Leadership Forum, the SOYP resolution asking all sections, councils, committees and chapters include young physicians in their leadership. Please check out YPConnection, our section’s online networking site. It has been revamped and we want you to use it to talk with each other and to tell us, your representatives what is most important to you. Find district groups as well as an advocacy group. Start a group of your own! I look forward to becoming your “friend” on YPConnection.

Christina Vo, MD, FAAP
Chairperson, Section on Young Physicians