As I reflect on the end of my term as President of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA), I feel gratitude. It has been a privilege to engage with so many talented individuals who have inspired me by their commitment to the AUA and to academic anesthesiology more broadly. 

As we approach the eagerly awaited gathering in St. Louis, I am thrilled to present the communications report in this edition of the AUA Update.

Q: I have served as a mentor for many years to at least two dozen mentees. Is there anything new I can learn from this workshop?

Absolutely! We learn something new every time we teach the workshop. Much work has been done in recent years to advance our understanding of developmental relationships, which include mentoring, advising, sponsoring, and coaching. We’ll discuss these differences and challenge you to think about which approach is best for a given situation. Many of the best mentoring relationships develop organically. Formalizing a mentoring relationship by setting ground rules and commitments at the start helps a mentee learn to manage up and creates a structure for dealing with conflict or dysfunction if it develops. And your wisdom and experience will enrich the learning of all participants making the workshop even more valuable!

This spring, the membership engagement board winds up their first year of service to the AUA membership and potential new members. Drs. Bustillo and Vogt led a group tasked with reviewing and revising AUA membership nomination checklists and guidelines.  These new revised guidelines make it clearer for potential members and those nominating them which academic physicians meet our honorific thresholds for memberships as full or associate members.  Our committee also created three awards to honor members for their outstanding work. These awards will be presented at the 2024 AUA Annual Meeting.

In AUA Update 2023 Issue 4, Drs. Chang and Pawar penned The Leaky Pipeline: How Are We Addressing This Problem? In a continuation of their reporting, they will now provide AUA members with a summary of state and national DEI anesthesia and health sciences-related pipeline initiatives in the U.S.

The Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) had a momentous year of transition and promise. 2023 was marked by both the important decision to return to an independent organization and the work to actualize the process. Many people stepped up in remarkable ways to complete the transition to new society management. I would like to recognize the many efforts of our AUA leaders, team members from the International Anesthesia Research Society, notably Tom Cooper, and our wonderful colleague Vivian Abalama, who has been instrumental in helping us advance the mission of the AUA while also making this transition. I am pleased to announce that, as of December 2023, the Association Resource Center (or ARC) is our new association management company. ARC works with other important organizations in the field, such as the Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine and the Society for Education in Anesthesia, among many others. We look forward to their expert support and partnership moving forward.

As the Chair of the Communications Committee, it is my privilege to share insights into the Association of University Anesthesiologists’ (AUA) most transformative year in the past decade. The transition to full independence and our distinct University-based Annual Meeting mark an exhilarating era, deserving acknowledgment of all parties involved. I encourage you to read Dr. Mashour’s President’s Message for an insightful recap of our journey and a glimpse into what lies ahead.

The utilization of artificial intelligence is rapidly gaining traction in the clinical realm and beyond. How can we best apply this developing technology in medical education? The two expert panelists delivering the Educational Advisory Board’s Annual Meeting session will answer this question.

Mentoring can be defined as “a dynamic, reciprocal relationship in a work environment between an advanced career incumbent and a beginner aimed at promoting the development of both.”¹The mentee defines where they want to go; the mentor contributes through reality checking, sharing what the desired path could look like, giving advice on decisions and commitments, and role modeling success. As the mentor, you bring experience and perspective on a path similar to the one the mentee is pursuing, but it’s important to remember that your paths are not the same. When a mentee shares a goal or challenge, it may remind you of your own experiences, inspiring you to jump directly to giving advice. Giving advice based only on your experience, without exploring what the mentee is experiencing, can be a source of misalignment and frustration. When advice is predicated on goals assumed by the mentor, it can lead to mentee dissatisfaction, lack of progress, and burnout.