2024 | Summer Issue

President’s Message

by Dolores B. Njoku, MD
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter 
I am excited about the direction of the Association of University Anesthesiologists (AUA) and for the opportunity to serve as your President! Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this. Even so, I know that no one gets here alone. So first, I I would like to send heartfelt thanks for our members, our previous Presidents, Drs. Kronish, Avidan, Kirsh and Mashour, as well as our previous Executive Director, Ms. Vivian Abalama, for their unwavering support, thoughts and actions that provided the energy and focus for clearing the path forward for "Shaping the future for Academic Anesthesiology." This is an important task. Our universities house our most precious persons, our resident and fellow learners that become our academic faculty! Hence, with this trust we must partner with our anesthesiology and multidisciplinary university faculty, staff and academic leadership in order to provide a strong future for all of these wonderful persons by being true to our mission: To promote excellence in academic anesthesiology through mentorship; promotion of diversity and inclusivity; and professional growth throughout the careers of educators, academic leaders, and researchers. While our mission has many key words, it is my opinion that the most significant of these words is to provide this mission "throughout the careers of educators, academic leaders and researchers." It is this promise that requires sustainable change and targeted implementation.

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Communications & Website Committee Report

by Shahzad Shaefi, MD, MPH
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter
I am honored to provide the AUA Communications and Website Committee report for this newsletter at a pivotal time for the organization. First, I warmly welcome Dr. Dolores Njoku as the newly appointed President of the AUA. Dr. Njoku has long been an exemplary leader in our specialty, with a remarkable track record of contributions across key academic organizations. She succeeds Dr. George Mashour, and together they have shepherded important initiatives that reflect a deep cultural transformation within the AUA, focusing on increasing value for all members and positioning the Association within an independent, university-based framework once more. Dr. Njoku's leadership, alongside key Council members such as Drs. Mashour and Michael Avidan, was instrumental in the success of the 2024 AUA meeting held at Washington University, St. Louis.

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Membership engagement advisory board (meb) report

by Valerie E. Armstead, MD, DABA, FASA and Michael Aziz, MD
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter
The Membership Engagement Board was thrilled to see all who attended the 70th AUA Annual Meeting from Friday, March 22 through Sunday, March 24, 2024, that was hosted by Washington University in St. Louis, MO. A well-attended and well-received pre-meeting Fundamentals of Professional Mentoring Workshop lead by Dr. Harriet Hopf, of University of Utah underscored the MEB dedication to mentoring to engage longtime AUA members with Associate and newer AUA members. The following day during a plated luncheon, along with awards to AUA members from the other AUA boards, the MEB, represented by Co-chair, Dr. Valerie Armstead, presented its inaugural awards to the following AUA members:

Leadership advisory board (lab) report: the launch and progress of the leadership advisory board (lab)

by Tetsuro Sakai, MD, PhD, MHA, FASA
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter
In 2020, the American University of Anesthesiologists (AUA) established the Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) to complement the existing Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and Educational Advisory Board (EAB). The LAB was created with a clear mission: to nurture leadership capable of addressing the unmet needs in academic anesthesiology. It aims to work synergistically with the EAB and SAB to foster innovation and address challenges within the field. 

leadership advisory board (lab) professional Meaning

by Elizabeth A. Duggan, MD
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter

Man's main concern is not to gain pleasure or avoid pain, but rather to see a meaning in his life.¹
Viktor E. Frankl.

Psychologists, sociologists, and behavioral economists have contemplated the concept of "meaningful work" for more than a half-century. William Osler touched on its nature, reflecting on the work of a physician as "a calling, one in which your heart will be exercised equally as your head."² Organizational literature argues that meaning is tied to one's sense of purpose, a method of self-expression whereby we derive personal significance by connecting with our values, our potential and our community.^3-5

Spotlight on Research

The ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting is happening on October 18th - 22nd, 2024 at Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. 

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Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

by Christina Pabelick, MD 
2024 | Summer Issue Newsletter
The AUA Scientific Advisory Board is delighted to report on its events at the 2024 Annual Meeting hosted by Washington University at St. Louis. The return to the university based, smaller meeting format gave excellent scope for attendees to interact related to their scientific interests both during organized and informal sessions. The SAB kicked off with the second iteration of the annual Mock Study section as a pre-meeting event on Friday.