Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs

The Association sponsors periodic meetings each year to provide a setting in which individuals facing similar challenges and problems can come together and meet with each other both formally and informally. The group regularly considers issues related to patient care, research, education, management, and finance.

The Pediatric scientist development program (psdp) provides intensive training in research relevant to specialty areas of pediatrics. The goal is to prepare entry-level faculty for research careers in academic pediatrics. Physicians presently in Pediatric training programs who wish to train in basic, transitional, or clinical research with an established investigator/mentor are encouraged to apply, as are candidates who seek training in epidemiology/statistics, informatics, health services, or health policy. A commitment to an investigative academic career is essential.

The Association provides convenient electronic services to its members such as a robust website, list-serves, annual surveys, online registrations and dues renewal, electronic balloting, online directory, publications, notifications of upcoming events and opportunities, career job postings and opportunities, as well as meeting materials.

The Association supports various organizations to promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate Medical education; to support and advocate for maximum health outcomes of children; to enhance the leadership and management skills of its members; to foster excellence and innovation in clinical care for children and in research and education in human development and child's health; and to support the Pediatric community in general

The division director leadership meeting program is designed to provide division directors access to resources, information, networking, and tools to lead and manage all aspects of division activities. Our faculty of Chairs represent a diverse set of programs in terms of size, structure, location, and more. Attendees will come away from this program with the tools and knowledge to work more collaboratively and successfully with their Department Chairs, other division directors, and faculty so they can lead a division that enhances the overall success of the Department.

The leadership for the Association meets periodically to discuss the Association's activities and sends representatives to affiliated organization meetings.

The workforce initiatives are cross organizational intitiatives overseen by amspdc with the long-term goals of: 1) increasing the number of high-quality students who enter training in our categorical pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, and combined Pediatric subspecialty training programs; and 2) improving recruitment of Pediatric residents into Pediatric fellowship programs, with an emphasis on those fellowship programs that are not filling their training slots. Amspdc oversees a plethora of working groups, hosts regular meetings, summits, etc.

The Association has established the Pediatric leadership development program (pldp) following a survey of the amspdc membership which highlighted the important role of the Association in helping to develop the next generation of Pediatric Chairs, ensuring that they will be well poised to lead our profession through the rapidly changing environment of academic medicine and health care in general. The program utilizes the following four components: formal mentorship program, peer-to-peer mentorship program, leadership development project, and attendance at two consecutive amspdc annual meetings.

A one-month research exposure program designed to immerse participants in a laboratory's work, providing insight into its research focus and processes. Participants attend lab, clinical, and informal research meetings, interact with mentors and lab members, and assess the lab's fit for future fellowship training. During this short-term experience, participants contribute to an existing project but lack time to initiate their own

The Association developed a visiting professorship program whose purpose is to provide consultation to Chairs of pediatrics who are interested in strengthening their departmental research program and desire for external input regarding strategies, necessary resources, use of existing resources, appropriate leadership, recruitment/retention priorities and other relevant issues.