PMG specializes in the management of professional societies dedicated to advancing medical research in a specific area. As a continuation of the blog series looking at the organizations we manage and their mission-driven projects, these organizations are working to educate their members and spread the research being conducted in their field. Additionally, many of our family of organizations are working to grow the next generation of research scientists particularly those from under-represented minority groups. PMG is proud to be part of these important educational initiatives.
The Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR) is an international society established to promote the advancement and dissemination of basic and applied research in all aspects of biological rhythms, enhance the education and training of students and researchers in the field, and foster interdisciplinary communication through the organization of biennial meetings. In 2017, the SRBR Board of Directors was in search of ways to further their mission of creating opportunities for underrepresented minorities and trainees at their 2018 Biennial Meeting. We helped develop the Trainee and Young Faculty Diversity Enhancement Fellowships. TYDE fellowships will cover a portion of meeting and travel expenses for researchers with disabilities or those who identify as coming from backgrounds underrepresented in chronobiology as defined by NIH. The society will help facilitate the integration of the TYDE Fellows to the biological rhythms community through professional development workshops and a one-on-one mentoring program at their meeting this year.
PMG is in its first year of managing the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP). SOBP was founded in 1945 with the mission to advance understanding, investigation, and treatment of psychiatric disorders until they are eliminated as a cause of human suffering. As their new management company, PMG is continuing SOBP’s purpose to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms, and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior by serving over 1000 members and organizing its annual meeting with over 1500 attendees. Each year, SOBP awards 60 to 85 individual travel awards to young investigators in the field to attend their annual meeting. All award winners are provided educational programming, lectures, roundtable discussions, and a mentor. In addition to the educational opportunities offered to early career investigators, SOBP targets the educators, themselves, by inviting 20 Training Directors of Departments of Psychiatry to attend the Annual Meeting, networking sessions, and other sessions directed to help training directors in the development and implementation of their curriculum. Since 2014, 50 training directors have attended the program at the SOBP Annual Meeting and 12 new training directors will attend the meeting and the program in 2018.
The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) works to improve outcomes for individuals with ADHD and their families by promoting research throughout the lifespan on ADHD and disseminating evidence-based practices and education. In 2017, APSARD worked to create new educational content for their members aside from their Annual Meeting in January. A highlight has been the development of the first Ask the Experts Webinar. This webinar created a forum for clinicians working in the field of ADHD and related disorders to interact with one another and ask questions of experts in the field. The first webinar series was a success and will be built upon in 2018.
The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) implemented and executed its inaugural self-assessment maintenance of certification (MOC) program for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) at the 2017 ASCP Annual Meeting in May. Based on the annual educational needs survey that solicits feedback regarding ASCP’s continuing medical education programming, ASCP determined that many members and meeting attendees participated in an MOC program. ASCP solicited multiple-choice questions from annual meeting speakers during the submissions process, collaborated with volunteer ASCP member liaisons to review the questions for educational content, and provided an optional self-assessment to all attendees after the meeting. Forty attendees successful completed the self-assessment MOC program for the 2017 ASCP Annual Meeting. Due to the success of the self-assessment MOC program at the 2017 ASCP Annual Meeting, ASCP plans to provide the same opportunity for the 2018 and 2019 Annual Meetings.
Next week, I look forward to sharing more of the exciting work being done by the professional organizations we manage.
