ASCO’s Leadership Development Program

Jul 02, 2012

Oncology’s next generation of leaders pursues Maintenance of Certification initiatives

 
  LDP veteran Dr. Lecia V. Sequist welcomes the 2012-2013 class at the June 1, 2012, LDP Orientation. - SILAS CREWS
   
 
     
  The application submission deadline for participation in the 2013–2014 class is September 19, 2012.  
     
   

ASCO has spent the last year cultivating the 2011-2012 graduating class of its Leadership Development Program (LDP), and in turn, participants have been exposed to and embarked upon three Society strategic initiatives, one of which included strengthening ASCO’s role in Maintenance of Certification (MOC).

The MOC team’s interactive learning project involved researching MOC policies and processes from other organizations, such as the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). The team also conducted a survey, which found that among recent MOC module purchasers, ASCO was not used as a primary source of information. Additional member information regarding MOC was obtained through a 2012 ASCO Annual Meeting registration supplement.

The MOC team concluded that the Society has a unique opportunity to develop a more centralized and user-friendly MOC program. They feel ASCO can support MOC activities best for its members by positioning itself as the “one-stop shop” for ASCO members and beyond. “A lot of people don’t know where to focus—they don’t know what direction to go in, in order to complete their Maintenance of Certification,” said LDP participant Cathy Eng, MD. “We want to help streamline that so they know to look to ASCO as a primary resource for guidance.”

The MOC team presented a report on their interactive learning project to the ASCO Board of Directors in June. Their findings and recommendations are currently being reviewed by relevant committees.

In addition to Dr. Eng, of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, other participants in the MOC project included Wells A. Messersmith, MD, FACP, University of Colorado; Karen L. Reckamp, MD, MS, City of Hope and Beckman Research Institute; and Lecia V. Sequist, MD, MPH, Center for Thoracic Cancers at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School. David H. Johnson, MD, FACP, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, served as the team’s mentor.

Understanding the intricaciesof leadership
The LDP serves as a kind of professional symbiosis between highly motivated, young oncology professionals and the Society, with potential effects that are both long-term and far-reaching. “The leadership boot camp we’ve been through and the various sessions we’ve had have helped us to understand the intricacies of becoming a leader—and an effective leader—versus being part of teams that are just spinning their wheels,” said Dr. Reckamp.

Many LDP participants have only been exposed professionally to one or two institutions, Dr. Eng explained. Accordingly, the LDP “allows you to objectify the way your organization does things because you’re interacting with people from 10 other organizations. You see the problems you have in common and also the unique ways that some institutions solve those issues,” said Dr. Messersmith.

The other two strategic initiatives addressed by the 2011-2012 LDP groups included 1) incorporating patient-reported outcomes into a rapid learning system for oncology, and 2) developing a service model that integrates palliative care throughout the continuum of cancer care.

For more information on the LDP, including a complete list of 2011-2012 participants and a list of 2012-2013 LDP participants introduced at this year’s Annual Meeting, visit asco.org/leadership and select “Leadership Development Program.”

  2011-2012 LDP class. Back row (left to right): Wells A. Messersmith, MD, FACP; Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC; Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH; Cathy Eng, MD; Karen L. Reckamp, MD, MS; Blase N. Polite, MD, MPH; Tari A. King, MD, FACS; Bruno C. Medeiros, MD; and Ralph J. Hauke, MD, FACP. Front Row (left to right): Anne C. Chiang, MD, PhD; Reshma Jagsi, MD, PhD; David H. Johnson, MD, FACP (Member, Professional Development Committee; Immediate Past Chair, Leadership Development Working Group); Jamie H. Von Roenn, MD (Chair, Professional Development Committee); Patrick Loehrer, Sr., MD (Past Chair, Leadership Development Working Group; Past Chair, Professional Development Working Committee); and Lecia V. Sequist, MD, MPH.


—By Elyse Blye, Senior Editorial Assistant
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