Full Issues

In this issue of the SGIM Forum, Associate Editor Dr. Somnath Mookherjee and his co-authors offer two articles on mentoring. In the first article, Drs. Deshpande, Mookherjee, and team compare mentoring concepts in 2023 to a previous study on mentoring completed 20 years prior. They remind us that as much as things have changed, many opportunities remain to be tackled in the mentoring arena. In the second article, Drs. Wright, Mookherjee, and team describe how a novel paired mentoring concept around a specific project led to successes but also recognitions of how things can be done differently in the future. SGIM president Dr. Martha Gerrity highlights the efforts of the Health Policy Committee and her crusade to advocate for internal medicine. SGIM CEO Dr. Eric Bass and Board of Regional Leaders Chair Dr. Tom Radomski detail the unfolding of a long-standing effort to realign regions within SGIM’s organizational structure. SGIM Philanthropy Committee Chair Dr. Bill Tierney reminds us that running an organization like SGIM requires financial commitments. Current SGIM financial requirements (annual membership renewals and annual meeting registrations) cover the basics of what SGIM offers as an organization. As a forward thinking and moving organization, it is the new and innovative efforts that make SGIM special, and the expansion of these programs can be supported with a donation on “Giving Tuesday.” Drs. Gobao and Min offer perspective on the detrimental impacts of certain policies and processes on the health and wellbeing of the unhoused. Associate Editor Dr. Gaetan Sgro envisions an idealized future state of health care to meet society’s most pressing needs utilizing a future fictionalized narrative article. Finally, Dr. Alvarez Concejo and co-authors help us find purpose and joy in what we do by defining Ikigai: devotion to activities that bring joy and meaning to one’s life.

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In this issue, we highlight articles by several trainees. Medical student Sheryl A. Cherian discusses the humanistic side of medicine by discussing the frequency of burnout at the individual level and defines the awareness of moral injury as an underlying component in her descriptive case. We also see the humanistic side of medicine in Dr. Fenske’s article as she describes her self-evolution during internship in understanding how communication, transparency, and humanism are essential in delivering excellent patient care. Drs. Williams and Kohli, Chair and Co-chair of the Membership Committee, discuss SGIM’s investment in SRFs by spotlighting the “Investing in GIM” initiative for fellows and the National Young Scholar in GIM (NYSGIM) offering for residents and students. Drs. Allen and Jackson describe their use of innovation and technology to increase communication through JamBoard which allows reflection on daily experiences and sharing feedback or educational pearls. Dr. Ali reminds us to define, recognize, and advocate for “true diversity” because when all voices are expressed, we can have a healthcare system as heterogeneous as our communities and SGIM. Drs. Bass and Maruthur highlight the SGIM investment in establishing an SGIM Task Force to address future collaborative efforts between SGIM and fellowship training programs. Dr. Hoque describes the benefits and challenges of shared decision making in clinical practice while Dr. Leung describes her lifelong learning within the Dutch healthcare system with the focus on life expectancy instead of code status. Dr. Gerrity describes the value of generalist’s care utilizing the 4 C model of first contact, continuity, comprehensive care, and coordination of care in an increasingly complex healthcare system. Finally, Dr. Ehrenberger pays tributes to trainees with her resident appreciation poem (applicable to all SRFs)

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In the September Forum, communication is a focal point in the article by Dr. Rabinovich et al as they tackle the problem of end-of-training handoffs of care in trainee clinics and their novel electronic medical record intervention using sticky notes to tackle this issue. This handoff is pertinent not only in trainee clinics but also across the healthcare system. Dr. Pasha et al from the Health Policy Committee provide us with a framework to use our voices along with their structured approach to advocate for those whose voices go unheard. Dr. Michener et al summarize two recent articles that offer opportunities for Internists to have conversations regarding long-acting reversible contraceptive care with patients. The Medical Education awards subcommittee converses with the 2023 awardees regarding their passions, lessons learned, and successes. SGIM President, Dr. Martha Gerrity, sheds light on the SGIM Council's decision making process and provides insight into SGIM's priorities for 2023-24. Dr. Eric Bass, CEO of SGIM, and ACLGIM's leaders discuss the crisis in recruitment and retention of academic general internists. The September issue also introduces the new "Did You Know?" mini column which will highlight aspects of the society members may be unaware of. Finally, Dr. Agusala reminds us of the clinical impacts of conversations and communications around nutrition by highlighting food as medicine and the clinical implications of our conversations. Her open-ended questions and suggested phrasing delineate strategies to save time for the busy clinician while creating clinical impacts in patient care.

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As you read this August issue of the Forum, the 2023 SGIM annual meeting is nearly three months in the past. I hope this issue ignites the embers of your personal fire and involvement in SGIM. In this issue, we highlight the many awards that recognize the hard work and dedication of SGIM members for their contribution to the organization and to medicine. Dr. Eric Bass, CEO of SGIM, reflects with SGIM Meeting Co-chairs Drs. Shelly-Ann Fluker and Milda Saunders on their year-long journey to create the 2023 annual meeting experience. A special thanks to them for their leadership of the volunteer team of SGIM members who comprise the annual meeting program committee. Dr. Martha Gerrity shares her presidential insight into her memories of the 2023 annual meeting and her thoughts on the upcoming 2024 meeting. Dr. Jennifer Michener offers her perspective on meeting SGIM collaborators face to face at the annual meeting and its effect on future collaborations, while Dr. Richard Silbert reminds us of the environmental costs of in person meetings and how SGIM should at minimum understand future options. Finally, we share pictures of SGIM members experiencing all that Denver, Colorado, and the 2023 annual meeting had to offer. After reading this issue, I encourage you to take a moment to “save the dates” of May 15-18, 2024, on your calendar to ensure that you are in that number as an attendee at the 2024 SGIM Annual Meeting. I know I will be there.

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In this issue of SGIM Forum, Gerrity, SGIM President, explores the identity of our specialty – general internal medicine (GIM) – and how much richer our field of work has become. On the note of education, Detsky lightens the virtual mood with “The Music Video,” started as a teaching method he employed during the COVID-19 pandemic to “counterbalance all the sadness we see in our patients.” Since peak pandemic years, the objectives shifted to set the day’s mood, improve powers of observation, and teach a bit about musical theater. Read the full article for links to a sample playlist. In the article of the month, Doolittle and Gielissen describe Milestones 2.0 as the next evolution of trainee assessment, while also advocating for the appointment of an assessment officer to bridge the milestone gap between intended and actual assessment application.  Elaborating on advocacy as a core skill in GIM professions, Bass, SGIM CEO, asks Schwartz, Director of SGIM’s Leadership in Health Policy Program (LEAHP), and Goodson, LEAHP mentor and long-time member of the Health Policy Committee, discuss the current state of SGIM advocacy development. Flatmann and Jackson share a resident’s viewpoint visiting Capitol Hill for the first time as a physician-advocate ready to meet with Tennessee legislators. Additionally, Berger, Khawaja, and George offer a new Ask An Ethicist column, in this case, addressing the care of undocumented immigrants. Ganesan and Rao share a morning report with takeaway points that highlight the influences of racial bias on the patient’s care and on clinical documentation. Jackson and Conner offer a morning report with key learnings about recognizing and maintaining a broad differential diagnosis for skin reactions. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, pens her final Editor’s column, ending a three-year term and reflecting on the pivotal influence of such service as a SGIM member. SGIM Forum is a place for members to share their diverse perspectives and experiences, advocacy, research, and clinical work. Submit articles or artwork to Michael Landry, incoming SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, at sgimforumeditor@gmail.com.

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In this issue of SGIM Forum, Bass, SGIM CEO, and Hicks, SGIM Past President, applaud the numerous achievements and impact of the Society’s committees, commissions, and interest groups during the past year. Their column is a must-read full stop. Gerrity, SGIM President, emphasizes the importance of positionality and recognizing one’s own “biases and lenses…and filters” when we engage in any of the myriad activities in the scope of our generalist profession. Chisty, McNamara, and Kwolek, leaders of the Women and Medicine Commission, pen a leadership profile of Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz, SGIM 2023 Distinguished Professor of Women’s Health, illustrating her journey and achievements from discovery to present-day impact on the field. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, defends reproductive choice for women – including the lesser-recognized choice of childlessness.  Medical education is a core tenet for Society members. Denizard-Thompson and Feiereisel share essential ingredients and their experiences developing Primary Care track to expose residents early in training to the facets of an academic generalist career, focusing on key pillars like mentorship, networking, scholarship, and enhanced clinical experience. Callister, et al, offer five essential tips for expectation setting on inpatient ward round teams. Garb and Cruz frame the decreasingly relevant role of didactic learning modalities in contemporary clerkship education and offer some opportunities for its necessary evolution. Khan writes about financial challenges that residents faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Additionally, Mann highlights a disturbing shortage and inequity in the distribution of emergency medical services in the U.S. and the essential need for a more interconnected system of care for our patients. This issue of SGIM Forum also features a poem, Muted Crash, by Nerness, and song lyrics on How Wonderful It Is To Be A General Internal Medicine Physician, generated by ChatGPT and prompted by Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief. Read more poetry and black-and-white artwork in the SGIM Forum archives and submit your own today!

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Martha Gerrity, incoming SGIM President, writes her first President's column for SGIM Forum, warmly welcoming us to gather to learn and grow together. As we prepare to #SGIM23 in Aurora, CO, only days away, readers will find Gillespie's front-page column an essential read before we meet: she offers a clear vision and specific tips on how SGIM members can help promote planetary health through their individual choices, backed by numerous steps the planning committee has taken to minimize the environmental impact of the meeting. Related to planetary health, Jacobs defines plasticemia and the potential impacts of microplastics on human health. 

Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and Newby review the primary care scorecard from the National Academy of Science and Medicine and its purpose "to provide accountability and to track the implementation of high-quality primary care in the U.S." Walls, et al, outline the need to expand access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) resources within federally qualified health centers, like Church Health in Memphis, Tennessee. Camille Murray, et al, share their lessons learned from Atlanta Interprofessional Student Hotspotting. 

Hirsch and Conigliaro comment on the value and medical necessity of pre-operative clearance as a meaningful period of assessment rather than an automated, one-size-fits-all process. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and Dr. Scheufele, et al, briefly summarize the impact of race-based and cultural bias in medical and clinical informatics environments and opportunities for improvement and evolution. Tiffany I. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, offers remarks on how generative artificial intelligence can influence patient education, but more broadly on the important role of general internists in shaping technology applications in practice.

As we embark on another learning-packed annual meeting with #SGIM23, let’s remember to embrace these principles as we pull up our sleeves to get to work, courtesy of our new President: show up with intention; ask yourself why you are here and how you can contribute; engage, listen, and learn; and bring your curiosity and openness. 

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To open this issue, Sgro notes in his column in this issue, “That physicians’ words have such power is a function of our status compounded by the vulnerable position in which we encounter our patients. And our words can do more than wound, demoralize, or bias.” Our words can take on a sense of digital permanence also in the electronic health record: Solovieva and Rao discuss the concept of testimonial injustice or the use of language that can instill bias or disbelief in the reader through chart notes. Bass, SGIM CEO, and Gonzalez and Lypson discuss receiving a grant for a project on promoting diagnostic excellence from the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) that focuses specifically on mitigating racial disparities in diagnosis. Hicks, SGIM President, offers his parting reflections in his final SGIM Forum President’s Column. The more we can educate ourselves about best practices and the invisible influencers of our daily thought, the more we can be mindful to mitigate their impacts on how we think and act.

Regarding career advancement, three articles in this issue focus on the issue of bias in performance evaluations and letters of support. Finta, Sheffield, and Lukela call for formal training for residents on how to give feedback in ways that avoid unintended bias. Conigliaro, et al, describe their innovative program, Promotion Support for Women in Medicine, designed to build a pool of skilled letter writers to sponsor women academic faculty in their promotions—and do so while applying best practices in avoiding gender-biased language in their support letters. Sagar, et al, summarize some of the key pitfalls of biased language in letter writing and offer specific strategies for writing letters that avoid biased language.

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In the March issue, SGIM Forum shares important Society updates. LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, highlights a #SGIM23 milestone worth celebrating: this annual meeting boasts the highest number of Round 2 submissions since before the COVID-19 Pandemic – and this year represents the second-highest number of abstract submissions for any SGIM national meeting over the past 20 years! Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and William Tierney, Chair of SGIM’s Philanthropy Committee, offer special thanks to participants in SGIM’s Forging Our Future Program from 2022. Stella, et al., present a call to action on advocacy at the intersection of housing and health for SGIM members: follow the #HousingIsHealthCare social media campaign, in part the result of a partnership between the 2023 SGIM Program Committee, led by Co-Chairs Shelly-Ann Fluker and Milda Saunders, and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. The campaign will offer to SGIM members a variety of opportunities to learn, engage, and participate in housing-health advocacy in conjunction with the annual meeting. Promoting physician well-being remains a keystone in our daily work and lives. Mark Linzer and Sara Poplau give an overview of the ways that SGIM, its members and leaders are long-standing influencers of nationwide efforts to improve physician well-being. Tiffany Leung, SGIM Forum Editor, ponders the importance of addressing digital well-being for physicians and trainees. Also, curricular and professional development innovations are essential to continuous adaptation to new methods, paradigms, or technologies in support of medical education. Riley Lipschitz, et al., describe their undergraduate medical education curricular innovation, the Practical Population Health curriculum, that aims to build a bridge from population health theory to high value, clinical practice. Marika Alois describes motivations for developing a longitudinal Integrative Medicine curriculum for undergraduate medical education, including enhancing quality of care and patient safety. Juan Lessing, et al., reflect on the lessons learned from their combined Mountain West and New England regional meetings, sharing the benefits of virtual meetings and potential opportunities for hybrid models for hosting meetings. Remember, registration for the 2023 SGIM Annual Meeting is open! The final day for early registration is March 13, 2023.

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In this issue, SGIM Forum covers a variety of timely topics for SGIM members. LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, reflects on the SGIM Council winter retreat, reflecting on SGIM memberships and looking towards the Society’s future. Fluker and Saunders, #SGIM23 Annual Meeting Program Committee Co-Chairs, share a sneak peek at the goals and highlights of our upcoming in-person meeting in Aurora, Colorado. Also, Eric Bass, SGIM CEO and SGIM Past President (2013-2014) answers questions in his Q&A about SGIM’s Choosing Wisely recommendations. Spencer and Henry confront structural inequities due to a lack of universal insurance coverage and identify an opportunity for Medicaid expansion to address major health disparities experienced by Black Americans. Syed, Turbow, and Vaughan offer a quick read on alternative payment models, including value-based purchasing and the Medicare Shared Savings Program, highlighting their benefits and where SGIM members can learn more about them. We welcome a new Associate Editor to the SGIM Forum team: Cruz shares her perspective on teaching interprofessional collaboration and teamwork. Readers can return to February 2022’s SGIM Forum theme issue on “Team and Interprofessional Care” for more related reading. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, identifies opportunities for SGIM members to engage in active and needed debates about the roles of artificial intelligence in routine clinical practice – with the help of ChatGPT. Finally, this February 2023 issue closes with a poem on “Why I Love Being A PCP” from Niranjan.

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Explore the first 2023 issue of SGIM Forum today! Read about mock calls for medical students to learn management of medical emergencies from Drs. Nikesh Kapadia and Shanu Gupta. Dr. Milad Memari and colleagues in the SGIM Medical Education Committee offer part two of their Medical Education Update on educational innovations in addressing inequity and bias. Additionally, Drs. Arlene Betancourt and Mari Ricker offer perspectives on integrative medicine for residency training. Dr. Karisten Ann Ehrenberger reflects on opportunities to improve trainee knowledge and competencies in promoting healthy nutrition. Medical student Tanvee Varma and co-authors present a case of Budd-Chiari syndrome, noting the importance of early and timely diagnosis to potentially reduce or avoid complications of the condition.
In his President's column, Dr. LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, identifies specific opportunities for SGIM to influence health policy to promote equitable systems of care. Dr. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, converses in his monthly Q&A column with Dr. Anders Chen, Larry McNeely II, Director of Policy for the Primary Care Collaborative, and Ann Greiner, Primary Care Collaborative President and CEO, on the organization's vision, mission, and key steps towards health equity and high-quality primary care via policy change. Lastly, Dr. Tiffany Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, offers thanks to the SGIM Forum team and looks forward to 2023 ahead!

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Articles in this issue are loosely focused on residency educational innovations and experiences.
McQuade, et al, offer a creative approach to case-based learning with their Pitt Puzzles series. Keyserling, et al, share lessons learned on developing a residency primary care track to foster a passion for primary care. Kearns, et al, engage residents in developing and implementing ambulatory curricula in residency on moving beyond only assessing social determinants of health for patients towards managing them as a routine part of patients care. Mansour, et al, conducted a preliminary evaluation of a residency telehealth curriculum. Additionally, the Education Committee offers readers the first of two parts of the Update in Medical Education presented during the 2022 SGIM Annual Meeting that focuses on studies that identify inequity in various domains in medical education.
Also, we remain civically engaged to tackle the most impactful issues for our patients, our learners, and for us as general internists. Importantly, this month’s President’s Column and Q&A with the SGIM CEO both follow up on specific actions and decision-making points considered by SGIM leadership in regional and national meeting planning, elaborating further in response to concerns that were introduced in last month’s issue.1

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SGIM excels at diversifying educational offerings and ensures they are in keeping with contemporary issues and learning modalities. LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, encourages us to explore various SGIM platforms for learning. Shelly-Ann Fluker and Milda Saunders, co-chairs of the SGIM 2023 Annual Meeting, share a glimpse of #SGIM23 ahead—and offer a gentle nudge on the early bird registration end date of December 1 (another date that sneaks up on us!). Each article in this issue seeks to support faculty in their routine work as growth-oriented and continuously learning professionals. For example, Greenberg, et al, describe daily teaching tips despite busy clinical demands, and Haynes, et al, suggest ways to go outside the standard learning box to challenge learners. Gielissen, et al, ask us to look inward at how we trust to become better educators. Also, when leading a division or department, one can work to systematize faculty support and development, as Ruff, et al, and Sakumoto and Dunn suggest in their articles. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and William Tierney, SGIM Philanthropy Committee Chair, remind us how valuable philanthropy efforts, like Forging Our Future, enable additional learning and career development programs possible for SGIM members. There is always more to do, more to teach, and more to learn. This month’s issue is loosely focused on aspects of faculty development and skill development as a clinician-educator. As a reminder for us all: Keep calm and keep on learning!

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For this SGIM Forum theme issue—“Medical Education Innovations and Explorations,”—I was impressed by the breadth and scholarly achievement of SGIM members. In this issue, Webber, et al, offer a few quick tips on how clinical teachers can adapt to new learning environments and platforms. Casas, et al, provide key questions for faculty and postgraduate trainees to ask when determining what curricula a training program offers on sex- and gender-based women’s health education, especially considering the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. Greene, et al, describe their student-driven model of curriculum development to master core competencies in LGBTQ+ patient care.
Murugan, et al, introduce the field of health systems science and the development of a clerkship module, which includes applying design thinking during a hackathon to tackle health systems issues, at Emory University School of Medicine. South, et al, also introduce two curricular threads—one on health systems science and another on health equity and advocacy—implemented in the fourth-year clerkship at University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, and Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, offer a look ahead at SGIM’s priorities on advancing medical education, in and out of SGIM. Kyanko, et al, call members’ attention to SGIM’s Leadership in Health Policy (LEAHP) program, which will soon begin training its fifth cohort of applicants as health policy leaders.

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In this issue of SGIM Forum, LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, and Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, share important SGIM considerations regarding organizational priorities for the coming year, with special focus in the President’s column relating to the legality of abortion in each U.S. state and that impact on future SGIM meeting plans. Margot Cohen and colleagues write about their experiences of training residents as coaches of clerkship students during an Internal Medicine (IM) and IM-Pediatrics elective. Hussain Khawaja and co-authors describe a physician ambassador program to facilitate new faculty onboarding and retention. Medha Reddy, a third-year medical student, and her mentor offer five tips to overcoming vaccine hesitancy in minoritized populations. Stacie R. Schmidt summarizes the various ways that the healthcare industry contributes to yet can also mitigate its effects on climate change. Finally, Phillip M. Johansen, a fourth-year medical student, and co-authors offer a morning report case study and overview of the challenging diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. As an always impressive breadth of scope, our general internal medicine community spans advocacy, education, leadership, research, and the intersections and blurred boundaries beyond. I hope we can periodically return to our roots in nature as one of many possible ways to rejuvenate and reenergize our numerous important initiatives and daily work.

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In this issue, the first August SGIM Forum in-person annual meeting recap since 2019, we appreciate the joys of gathering via official photography from the live in-person event. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and Matthew Tuck and Nicole Redmond, #SGIM22 program co-chairs, reflect on this landmark occasion occurring during a pandemic. LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, also reflects while also looking ahead towards #SGIM23. An annual tradition, we also again recognize the SGIM award recipients, accompanied by additional inspirational stories shared by the Education award recipients. In Ask an Ethicist, members of the SGIM Ethics Committee analyze a case question about caring for an incarcerated patient. Finally, Rebekah Scott and Christina Shields, fourth-year medical students share their unique peer-to-peer teaching experience on learning about medical billing. SGIM and Forum are ready to sate that appetite for learning!

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Due to an abundance of submissions for last month’s theme issue on “LGBTQIA+, Sex and Gender Health,” July’s SGIM Forum includes additional articles on the same topic. As the ad hoc second volume on the theme, the content here offers perspectives and information that demonstrate several examples of how much and what kinds of impacts our skills and connections as physicians — with patients, each other, society, and so many more stakeholders in our populations’ health — can have.

Simone Chriss and co-authors offer five recommendations for medical schools to move towards more LGBTQ+ inclusive education on the front page of this issue. Megan McNamara and co-authors then offer tips for learners to find training programs that provide affirming environments and additional important features for LGBTQ+ applicants. Carl Streed and co-authors explore the important area of LGBTQ/2S representation in various aspects of health care research.

Reflective essays in this issue also tell us of SGIM members' values on inclusion that bridge personal and professional spaces. Lucille Torres-Deas shares personal experiences and a call for much more widespread LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Aliza Norwood responds to recent legislation that increases barriers to care for LGBTQI+ patients.

In addition to extended theme issue content, Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and the three current JGIM Co-Editors discuss the achievement and future ahead for JGIM. The Call for Letters of Interest for the position of Editor(s)-in-Chief of JGIM is still open until July 15, 2022. Also, LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, remarks in his column on living by our values as a Society. As the SGIM Forum Editor notes, we learn not only how to doctor but to be a doctor, and being a doctor impacts lives well beyond the individual physician-patient visit. What other ways do you have an impact as a SGIM member? Contact the Editor to share your impact in SGIM Forum.

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As an official publication of the Society of General Internal Medicine, SGIM Forum takes pride in amplifying and, as necessary, repeating the various ways that certain policy changes go against SGIM's core values and vision of a just system of care in which all people can achieve optimal health. This includes policies that interfere with the patient-physician relationship or penalize evidence-based care, which includes policies that threaten the well-being of gender-diverse and sex and gender minority populations

In this SGIM Forum theme issue on “LGBTQIA+, Sex, and Gender Minority Health” we take pride in offering multiple viewpoints and tools from authors on:
● providing a list of concrete actions to foster inclusivity, combat stigma, and advocate for reforms on behalf of LGBTQIA+ patients;
● describing the work of SGIM’s LGBTQ Health Interest Group;
● recounting lessons learned from coordinating a timely and impactful response to harmful legislation;
● sharing insights from an academic career spent advocating for sexual and gender minorities;
● outlining practical guidance for how to integrate gender-affirming care into a primary care setting;
● discussing processes for recruitment and retention of sexual and gender minority medical students and trainees; and
● offering personal reflections on a system that too often reinforces stigma and causes pain, and on attending to the spiritual needs of persons seeking gender affirming care.

We hope these pages will inspire you to raise your voices and focus your unique expertise to ensure that sensitive, individualized, and life-affirming health care is available to all.

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Reflection is a power tool for leveraging our past experiences into lifelong lessons that help our future.

LeRoi Hicks, SGIM President, calls us to consider the future of internal medicine through clinical care, research, and education while reflecting on his own journey of navigating health challenges during the time of COVID-19. Tiffany Leung, SGIM Forum Editor-in-Chief, discusses the importance of reflection to see the road ahead and prioritize our collective mental health as general internists. Gregory Misky shares a powerful reflection on learning the meaning of the Hippocratic oath through the eyes of his patients experiencing severe illness. Steven Chen and colleagues use reflection on the hidden curriculum in clinical learning environments to discuss how we can more positively impact the professional identify formation for Asian medical student learners. Reflecting on the many conversations had with patients around COVID-19 vaccination in the sea of misinformation, Eva Rimler and colleagues give practical approaches to help teach learners how to navigate this chiasm with attention to the principles of evidence-based practice. Specifically, emphasizing connection, using communication frameworks, and addressing misinformation are key to maintaining the clinician-patient relationship during these conversations. Recognizing how challenging it is to cope with the unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cassedy Owen gives us a powerful artwork piece and perspective on life for many us during the past few years. David Haggstrom and colleagues answer questions regarding the SGIM-VA collaboration on a research curriculum for early career investigators desiring to do partnered research. Amir Meiri and colleagues speak about physicians union in the wake of COVID-1, specifically as an opportunity to organize doctors around maintaining the physician-patient relationship and reducing burnout.   

May the reflections in this issue of SGIM Forum inspire us all to remember what made us pursue general internal medicine careers.

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This month’s issue of SGIM Forum includes a wealth of perspectives from leaders across GIM as well as insights from researchers and innovators developing new models of care, advancing health equity at the point of care, and promoting positive professional identity formation among future clinicians. Dr. Tiffany I. Leung, Editor in Chief, looks forward to the first in-person Annual Meeting since 2019, hopeful that this gathering will feel like a second homecoming. Writing in her final president’s column, Dr. Monica L. Lypson, SGIM President, reflects with gratitude for an immense network of family, friends, colleagues and supporters who have been essential to weathering a pandemic and sustaining a stellar academic career. Dr. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, interviews Dr. Craig Brater, AAIM President and CEO, about AAIM’s new strategic plan intended to make diversity, equity, and inclusion foundational to future initiatives. A profile of Dr. Amy S. Gottlieb, the Distinguished Professor for Women’s Health for the SGIM Annual Meeting 2022, explores her ongoing advocacy for gender equity in academic medicine. Dr. Robert Doolan describes the evolution of primary care from a model organized around episodic, office-based care to one that encompasses acute care, chronic disease management, preventative medicine, and population health, and makes the case for a transition from fee for service to a new payment model to support the delivery of comprehensive primary care. A team of researchers from Stanford’s Division of Primary Care and Population Health and San Francisco State University describe a qualitative study aimed at describing Black patients’ perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine, identifying strategies to support vaccine deliberation that include: “[Listening] intently and completely,” and “[Agreeing] on what matters most.” Dr. David W. Walsh, SGIM Forum Associate Editor, reviews the book Understanding Clinical Negotiation noting that now, more than ever, clinicians need to cultivate skills to engage patients in “active discussion with the hopes of reaching a mutual agreement.” Finally, in this month’s Breadth Section, a team of medical students and faculty at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine describe a novel approach to combat imposter syndrome through reflections on photographic, verbal, and written media. Intro by Gaetan Sgro, MD.

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This issue of SGIM Forum offers a continuation of content from last month’s theme issue on Team and Interprofessional Care. Throughout this issue, the authors highlight the importance of interdisciplinary care in the outpatient and inpatient setting. Reading this issue of SGIM Forum reminds us all as general internists why interdisciplinary care is vital for effective patient care in general medicine setting. Monica Lypson, SGIM president, highlights SGIM’s role in advocacy through their support of COVID-19 testing, PPE for front-line clinicians, equitable and fair telehealth reimbursement, and loan forgiveness for COVID-19 frontline workers. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, details the successes of the “Forging Our Future” Program through the generosity of SGIM members and donors. Tiffany Leung, SGIM Forum Editor in Chief, discusses the unspoken personal and emotional impact on business owners forced to close during COVID-19 lockdowns in the Netherlands. Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is a core part of general internal medicine practice. Temple Ratcliffe and colleagues share lessons learned from implementing IPC in the inpatient clinical learning environment. Specifically, IPC in the hospital requires system reorganization, and inpatient clinicians and personnel require additional training to make IPC optimal for patient care. Moving to the outpatient setting, Rebecca Shafer and colleagues explore best practices and barriers to collaborating with medical social work in the primary care clinic. Additionally, Jason Ehrlich gives reflections from being medical director of the IMPACcT clinic at Northwell Long Island Jewish Hospital, giving thoughts on engaging senior leadership and the need for IPC in primary care.  Rachel Levine and Carole Warde highlight the impact of the Horn Scholars program on facilitating scholarship and advocacy with other important responsibilities. Danielle Admunsen and colleagues discuss missed opportunities for cancer survivorship management in primary care, with a particular attention to the need for more research in survivorship and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Intro by Christopher D. Jackson, MD, FSSCI.

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Welcome to this month’s theme issue on “Team and Interprofessional Care.”
While strengthening a team can take on a variety of meanings, it is apt in the demanding and dynamic clinical and educational settings of multidisciplinary general internal medicine healthcare professionals.
From an individual’s perspective, strengthening the care team might mean bringing a unique expertise to their team. Orozco, et al., explore these issues and the potential for a community health worker or patient navigator to facilitate care coordination and community engagement in individual patients’ health. Myong and Newman offer a medical student perspective on the visible value of multidisciplinary team care in patients’ communities. For a team looking to adapt to changing healthcare environments and optimize the applications of their team members’ skills, Sakumoto, at al., offer a look into an all-virtual primary care team model. General internal medicine physicians, or generalists, can identify with a variety of roles based on their clinical setting: hospitalists in hospital settings, ambulists in ambulatory settings, and now virtualists in virtual or remote settings. For leaders and organizations looking to bring on talent from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, strategic planning and intentionality are needed to foster innovation and synergy within and between care teams across different settings. Alkhaiw and Torres-Deas explore the long view of primary care physicians in interdisciplinary team leadership roles.
SGIM also has its role to play throughout each of these settings with regards to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and team-based care.1 Lypson, SGIM President, provides an update on behalf of SGIM Council and highlights from the winter leadership retreat. If you are a current or recent general internal medicine fellow, or a general internal medicine fellowship program director, please read an important call for survey responses from the SGIM Fellows Survey Sub-Committee, a subcommittee of the SGIM Research Committee, by Marathur, et al. The survey provides the Sub-Committee with information on the career outcomes of current and former general medicine research fellows and helps to identify barriers and facilitators to developing and maintaining a GIM research career. Also, Bass, SGIM CEO, and O’Malley, Director of the National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR), provide an update on NCEPCR goals for primary care researchers and how SGIM is engaged in advancing primary care research workforce development.

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As we begin a new year, we return to our daily work with renewed energy to continue addressing essential issues for general internists and our SGIM communities. Monica Lypson, SGIM President, highlights key goals in SGIM’s anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, in accordance with SGIM Executive Committee’s DEI Workgroup recommendations. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, details how we are strengthening our Society’s external relationships in alignment with our vision of a just system of care in which all people can achieve optimal health. Tiffany Leung, SGIM Forum Editor in Chief, reviews SGIM Forum’s growth in talent and diversity over the past year and a half, in keeping with overall SGIM targets. A new addition to SGIM Forum, in collaboration with the Ethics Committee, “Ask an Ethicist” is a new department in which articles address common and important ethical questions faced by general internists. In this issue, Kyle Karches, chair of the SGIM Ethics Committee, examines a scenario in which a patient asks for a note to state that she can safely return to work after testing positive for COVID-19 one month earlier. To Ask an Ethicist, members are encouraged to contact the Ethics Committee with their questions that can be addressed in future articles. Additionally, Maria (Gaby) Frank outlines six steps for professional development on a journey that is purposeful, attainable, successful, and also enjoyable. Mohammed Pasha shares a perspective on the challenges of securing a Visa into the US after matching internationally. Sarah Merriam and colleagues share their experiences with writing sprints as a collaborative pathway towards publishing success. Also in this issue, Hugh Silk describes the essential role of oral health in medical education. Finally, Rebecca Shafer and coauthors share their experiences of creating an obesity medicine track for internal medicine residents. Happy new year and happy reading to SGIM members!

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One of the key aims of SGIM Forum is to feature the creative writings and critical reflections of its membership. Gently pushing boundaries and expanding our horizons through respectful dialogue and a combination of gradual and fast-paced change when each is necessary, SGIM members move our communities forward with fresh and vital perspective. As we approach two years since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and changed our worlds, several SGIM members look back — and forward — in this issue on how our decision-making about in-person personal and professional activities has changed in response. SGIM Forum Associate Editors, Block, et al, introspect on the uncertainties and conflicts they face when protecting themselves and their families from COVID-19. Lypson, SGIM President, and 2022 SGIM Annual Meeting Co-chairs, Tuck and Redmond, offer a clear vision of SGIM’s near future at an in-person meeting: Early Bird registration for the meeting is now open! As one of the top three Arts & Humanities submissions from the 2021 Mid-Atlantic SGIM Annual Meeting, Kulkarni sees her current place as a medical student as a prelude for her post-pandemic future as a physician. Still other SGIM members examine how pandemic responses have offered durable lessons in GIM health services. O’Glasser writes about how perioperative medicine adapted during COVID-19, while Pilapil, et al, share learnings from preparing and then deploying pediatric clinicians in COVID-19 care settings. Nemeth, et al, describe the positive effects of COVID-19 on graduate medical education, recruitment, and clinical experiences, in a collaboration between SGIM Education Committee and the Education Subcommittee of Health Policy Committee. Bass, SGIM CEO, looks towards the future at scientific opportunities for addressing health disparities through new approaches to funding. Finally, Leung, SGIM Forum Editor, looks ahead at more humankindness during and beyond the pandemic.

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One of the key aims of SGIM Forum is to feature the creative writings and critical reflections of its membership. Gently pushing boundaries and expanding our horizons through respectful dialogue and a combination of gradual and fast-paced change when each is necessary, SGIM members move our communities forward with fresh and vital perspectives.

This issue features a first-ever collaboration with SGIM’s Mid-Atlantic Region leaders to feature creative work from its members. Geriatrics fellow physician, Pesquera, examines her COVID-19 experiences through the lenses of art and narrative medicine. Medical student, Iluore, shares her poetry, Putting Out Fires. Each piece is distinguished for being selected as two of the top three Arts & Humanities submissions from the 2021 Mid-Atlantic SGIM Annual Meeting; the third top-ranked submission will be published in the December SGIM Forum issue.

SGIM leadership and members also remark on persistent contemporary issues relevant to our daily lives as general internists: Lypson, SGIM President, reminds us of our civic duties, including voting, and also collective duties as an organization; Bass, SGIM CEO, and Baron, President and CEO of the American Board of Internal Medicine, address members’ concerns about the spread of misinformation by physicians; and Leung, Kozman, et al., offer a brief tool to mitigate one’s own point-of-care implicit biases in clinical practice. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor, looks to K-pop for refreshment and inspiration in her column.

Academic hospitalists, Katsouli, et al., and Keniston, et al., each offer complementary articles on hospitalist well-being and adaptation during the pandemic: one, an institutional needs assessment and response, and the other, a multi-institution network of hospitalists building a knowledge and experience sharing network across the U.S. Finally, Schmidt, et al., offer caution against a one-size-fits-all, quality metric-driven approach to screening for and managing depression among our patients.

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In this issue, Lypson, SGIM President, reflects on SGIM history to address COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and plans for the future, while Bass, SGIM CEO, and Gerrity, chair of SGIM’s Philanthropy Committee, also look ahead on bolstering SGIM’s community through the Forging Our Future program. Anampa-Guzmán, a medical student, courageously shares her experiences as a physician mental health and neurodiversity advocate. Torres-Deas and Moise call for greater attention to the link between physician well-being and patient well-being in their perspective. As one example, Malik, et al, share preliminary findings linking physician perceptions of e-cigarette use and advice given about using them as tobacco cessation tools. Miller offers a guide for primary care physicians to seek key competencies in a behavioral health clinician who can be a part of an integrated primary care team, while D’Amico, et al, describe the importance of screening for and addressing adverse childhood experiences among patients.

SGIM members excel at directly and deftly disrupting stigma-perpetuating barriers to well-being, including social and workplace injustices, using the tools of our trade: scientific evidence, expertise, and professionalism, weaved together by our shared human experiences and commonalities. Although 2022 is just around the corner, there is still so much more to be done to advance physician and patient mental health and well-being. Let’s be sure to keep going forward together, with and for each other and for our patients!

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The SGIM Forum September 2021 theme issue on “Physician and Patient Well-being and Mental Health” offers a variety of readings on this essential topic. Lypson, SGIM President, reminds us of the importance of “putting on your oxygen mask first before helping others,” while Bass, SGIM CEO, and Smith, ACP Vice President for Clinical Education, offer resources and tools from both societies to promote well-being and professional satisfaction. The article of the month, by Gier, et al., translates principles of dialectical behavioral therapy into a program that supports collaborative team care that also promotes team and individual clinician and staff well-being. Caputo-Seidler shares the healing power of storytelling and writing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor, reflects on the necessity of being able “to do nothing” to make mental space and renew energy and permit creativity and innovation to flourish. Wong, et al., remind us that structural and system interventions are the only sustainable pathway towards addressing healthcare provider burnout. On the note of structural change, Sgro reflects on the “deprivations of residency,” particularly sleep deprivation and duty hour regulations, that still yearn to be fully addressed to improve resident physician well-being. Walsh, et al., also inform us of the vital importance of financial well-being as a component of overall physician well-being. 

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In this issue, Lypson, SGIM President, looks back to reflect on the value of SGIM membership and community during the first-ever virtual live SGIM Annual Meeting in April 2021. Leung, SGIM Forum Editor in Chief, also looks back, asking members to continue sharing their #MyFirstSGIM experiences and how they came to call SGIM their professional home. Bass, CEO of SGIM, and Lypson look forward together to describe how SGIM Council, Committees, and Commissions develop and set their priorities for the upcoming year. Jetton announces the #SGIM21 award winners, while Lee, et al., feature wisdom and inspiration from several education award winners. Additionally, an essay from associate member Min, this issue's article of the month, speaks of loss during patient care. An essay from Terasaki offers first-hand perspective of methadone disposition for hospitalized patients. Redinger, et al., survey their interns and residents on preferences for virtual case conferences during COVID-19. Finally, Brown, et al., write up a case report of a rare disease, a neuroimmunological disorder presenting with symptoms of autonomic dysfunction.

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This mid-summer issue of SGIM Forum offers an educational potpourri. In this issue, Jani writes about Reflejos, an arts and humanities online publication, for which she served as editor. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and Rita Lee, chair of the 2021 Annual Meeting Program Committee, reflect on a successful virtual annual meeting. Mulligan, et al, summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of block grants, discussed at a LEAHP scholars journal club. Schmidt, et al, offer documentation tips to meet both patient needs and new CMS documentation requirements. Buell, et al, explains assessment of residents’ interest in performing procedures and implications for educational curricular planning. Le, et al, share high-yield insights on POCUS usage in evaluating patients with COVID-19. Finally, Levine recommends Closing the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine, a timely book that features contributions from members of the SGIM Women and Medicine Commission. Maybe the July Effect is just us revving our (learning) engines!

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SGIM’s physician leaders continue to pave a pathway for the academic general medicine community to evolve and make societal progress together. Monica Lypson, SGIM president, reflects on SGIM engagement as a pathway towards addressing collective burnout. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, provides a vital update on recommendations from a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on high-quality primary care. Physician-educators Orr, et al, and Achuonjei, et al, describe interprofessional educational programs for learners of different disciplinary backgrounds, aiming also to deliver virtual team care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physician informaticians Hernandez, et al, describe a unique pathway for residents to develop expertise as clinical informatics scholars. Physician-mother and fellow Mahrer Owen reflects on receiving her COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. In the spirit of SGIM Forum’s March theme issue on climate change and health, physician-advocates Balaban, et al, offer a reminder of physicians’ roles in environmental and climate health advocacy, especially in combination with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to advance population and public health.

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In this issue, the Editor’s Column features the voices of the entire SGIM Forum editorial team, exploring the importance and relevance of publishing in SGIM Forum as scholarly work. Also, SGIM international members are interviewed by Marley Dubrow, SGIM member engagement associate, regarding the COVID-19 response and approaches to vaccination distribution in Greece, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. Monica Lypson, SGIM president, writes her first President’s Column for SGIM Forum, reflecting on our collective adaptation to -- and our tremendous capacity to drive -- change in the last year and onward during her upcoming year as president. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, and Margaret Lo, chair of the SGIM Learning Management System (LMS) Task Force, update our readers on essential LMS features and considerations for continuing growth within our society. Bonnema, et al, and Raffel, et al, inform us of important medical educational developments across career stages from the last year. Finally, Stella, et al, articulate how the clashing U.S. homelessness crisis and COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate health disparities and hinder pandemic recovery -- and outline opportunities for community partnership and advocacy for support services and programs.

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Despite learning from officially accredited CME activities, physicians at any career stage are constantly learning from non-accredited yet similarly educational resources as practicing clinical medicine is such a knowledge-intensive discipline. Articles in this month’s Forum offer such essential learning: Oboh, Student National Medical Association president, discusses why Black students cannot stand alone in transforming undergraduate medical education; Bussey-Jones offers her advice on how to diversify academic leadership; Graves, et al, share experiences of quickly launching a combined virtual regional meeting; and Jetton and Hinkley preview the upcoming virtual annual meeting. The annual meeting marks a leadership transition as well as Jean Kutner, SGIM President, offers her final president’s column before Monica L. Lypson, SGIM President-Elect, begins her term. Green, Dunne, and Bass provide updates on collaboration between SGIM and UpToDate for learning content development; Williams, et al, review the Women and Medicine Commission’s collaboration with the Health Equity Commission on Career Advising Program updates; and Ahson shares a case report where a PaO2 saturation gap can be a vital clue for making a critical diagnosis.

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Like this pandemic, climate change respects no borders, making global climate commitments essential to preserve precious shared environmental resources and motivate human behavior with fewer negative environmental impacts. As the pandemic continues, so, too, do other urgent contemporary public health priorities, as Jean Kutner, SGIM president, reminds us. SGIM experts, leaders, and advocates in climate health share their insights on advancing climate justice, promoting climate health education of the public and medical communities, and improving patients’ and population health. As you read articles in this first-ever Forum theme issue on climate change and health, I encourage you to also explore the informative references that authors cite, including important policy statements, government reports, position papers, and research articles. We have an engaged and forward-thinking Forum associate editor team to thank for highlighting climate change and health in this special theme issue. I hope you find this to be a springboard for continuous learning and inspiration on how you can engage in climate advocacy and care for patients affected by climate change.

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As 2021 continues, we demonstrate our values through our actions, much like our upcoming annual meeting theme of “Transforming Values into Action.’ We bring our whole selves, including our intersectional identities, to the table and reinforce our values and actions through community and belonging. In this issue of Forum, articles offer a variety of perspectives from our community’s common identity as general internists and members of SGIM. Jean Kutner, SGIM president, shares her own SGIM journey and sage advice from long-time leaders in the Society on getting engaged. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, teams up with Schwartz and Staiger, chairs of the Leadership in Health Policy Program, to provide a vital update on a new primary care coalition in partnership with other professional organizations. Kwolek, et al, and Shrivastava and Bennett, offer two articles from the Women and Medicine Commission, introducing their new Workgroup on Parenting initiative launched in November 2020 and offering a program director’s leadership view on policies to promote a family-friendly residency environment. As of mid-December 2020, the first waves of COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States have only just begun. Peek offers a critical commentary on equitable vaccine access for the most vulnerable communities suffering from poor outcomes COVID-19 due to structural racism. Reflecting on an earlier stage of the pandemic, Kutscher and Kladney compare COVID-19 test counselling benefits during the pandemic to those of HIV test counselling during the AIDS epidemic. From the front lines, Holliday shares her emotional journey of caring for a dying COVID-19 patient as a resident and facilitating his family’s final goodbyes remotely.

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In the January 2021 issue of Forum, Lee and Schenker, co-chairs of SGIM’s 2021 Annual Meeting, share the benefits of attending the Society’s virtual live -- and lively! -- meeting April 20-23, 2021. Jean Kutner, SGIM president, describes learnings as we reprise and adapt our regional and national COVID-19 responses, contrasting our roles metaphorically with the film, Groundhog Day. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, updates us on the status of SGIM external relations through organizational collaborations to benefit our communities and patients. Tiffany I. Leung, Forum editor, reflects on New Year’s resolutions accompanying a needed sense of renewal for physicians and front-line healthcare workers. Hanna and Callister provide best practices for substance use disorders treatment during COVID-19. Block et al describe a pilot project engaging medical students in COVID-19 telehealth care, while Sagar and McGinn describe five core tenets and the design of a post-COVID ambulatory patient care service. Sgro provides us the third and final installment of Forum’s Racism in Medicine essay collection. Hamer and Estrada close the issue with a comprehensive list of scholarly publication venues for quality improvement work, refreshing a previous list from 2011.

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While not intended as a COVID-19 issue, this month’s articles reflect how significantly our experiences during the pandemic have molded our memories of 2020. Lenhart, et al, and Kennedy, et al, offer institutional and leadership perspectives in transforming local support systems and effective communication channels to provide resources and information to their healthcare workers and physicians. Jean Kutner, SGIM president, and Hollis Day, treasurer, offer us a transparent view on planning for virtual SGIM 2021. Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, keeps us updated on SGIM finances and a new philanthropy program. Dubrow, et al, an SGIM member engagement associate, describes global perspectives from SGIM members in Argentina, Canada, Japan, and Switzerland on their countries’ COVID-19 responses. Student first author, Leede, et al, describes the potential promise of learning from social media for COVID-19-related practice. Carney shares tips for physicians caring for patients like her, a medical student, when she had surgery for non-COVID-19 care during the pandemic. Gonzalez offers a cautionary note about implicit bias training, acknowledging the necessity for institutions to adopt implicit bias recognition and management.

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In this penultimate issue of 2020, Sottile reflects on “losing touch” with patients. Wilhite, et al, describe starting points for institutions to address social determinants of health to overcome inequities exacerbated by COVID-19, while Kuy, et al, provide an overview of communities affected during the pandemic, including children and rural communities. Systemic racism also remains an important aspect of these discussions, as Thomas, et al, explore differences in hypertension control by race among patients in resident and faculty clinics and Sgro offers the second part of a Forum essay collection on racism in medicine. Morales offers us a rapid-fire view of important issues to consider as the U.S. presidential election looms, while SGIM President Jean Kutner and CEO Eric Bass supply updates on the current state of SGIM advocacy and primary care research funding landscapes, respectively.

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This issue examines how SGIM members are leading on evergreen issues in general internal medicine. Jean Kutner, our president, shares how leadership lessons can come from non-work experiences. Julie Oyler, BRL chair, describes how SGIM region presidents are adapting local events to continue serving members, including offering vital networking and mentoring opportunities. Cunningham, et al, share the under-recognized importance of advanced care planning among young adults with cancer in their morning report. Van Doren, a third-year resident, calls our medical communities to action towards building anti-racist medical institutions, while Hasnain, et al, outline their consortium’s 10-step pathway for dismantling racism in academic medicine. Kane, et al, offer local learning on a residency continuity clinic for obesity medicine and LeFrancois, et al, from the MOC Subcommittee of SGIM’s Education Committee offer updates on ABIM maintenance of certification options.

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In this issue, SGIM president Jean S. Kutner and SGIM CEO, Eric Bass introduce the Society’s plans for looking inward to diversity, equity, and inclusion internally. Onumah and Fleurant, current co-chairs of SGIM’s Health Equity Commission, reflect on the racist history of medicine, noting that our current actions can change history for when we’re looking back at 2020 from the future. Associate members contribute two articles to this issue (Oronce/Chu and Shankar), looking at medicine and sharing their stories from trainees’ eyes. The SGIM Education Committee and Leisman/Karani offer recommendations for medical education programs to be anti-racist. The issue closes with the beginning of a collection of essays, as Sgro looks back at five of many previously published Forum articles on race and medicine.

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In this issue, we recognize our 2020 SGIM awardees, traditionally recognized also at the Annual Meeting. Additional articles offer glimpses into how our daily routines, professionally and personally, have been inexorably altered due to regional and global events. Ganith, et al., describe parenting during shelter-in-place orders, McNamara, et al., explore rapid adaptations to teaching virtual visit competencies to trainees, and Erickson writes about her own experience as a medical student dealing with new uncertainties around taking the USMLE. Eric Bass, SGIM’s CEO, responds to learners’ concerns about the “new normal” for them in the SGIM community

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This month’s issue features the work academic internists are doing as we progress through this difficult time. Drs. Leung, Ali, Bischof, Belaustegui and Frank provide us with thoughtful pieces on COVID-19 in four global regions. Dr. Susan Lopez reviews the impact of COVID-19 on the Hispanic community in Chicago. Dr. Manya J. Gupta discusses an unexpected wellness tool for healthcare workers—TikTok.

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This month’s issue tries to get back to the work we do as academic internists. Drs. Clark, Sims, Grenn, and Fryoux fittingly provide us with four thoughtful pieces on dealing with death. Dr. Grossniklaus discusses how to teach procedures through medical procedure services integrated into residency electives. SGIM President Dr. Jean Kutner also provides a framework looking toward this uncertain and complex future in her monthly column.

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SGIM is excited to bring you a very special edition of the SGIM Forum. Because of these unprecedented times, the Society wanted to offer an additional issue of Forum dedicated to COVID-19. This additional issue gives voice to the many SGIM members who have been, and continue to be, on the front lines of the current pandemic. We hope you find it a source of inspiration, hope, and information.

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I am at a loss for the words that can adequately describe these last several weeks. I know all of you have been deep in the throes of this pandemic. I know you lost patients. You may have lost colleagues or loved ones. This is unprecedented. This is historic. I think it’s fair to say that most of us have never had nor imagined an experience like this. But general internists are made for this. We have the capability to clinically function on many facets of the care team to support the front line. Our skills in research, education, and leadership also make us critical to our organizations in coordinating the overall short- and long-term response at the health system, community and national level.

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This month’s Forum features articles on the social determinants. Dr. DeSalvo continues her series by celebrating the people of SGIM. In the domain of medical education, Dr. Cacace tells us how to incorporate into our clinic precepting and Dr. Agonofer and colleagues share their experience on how to get our learners to act on them. Our Morning Report from Dr. Holtzman touches on an aspect of social determinants as well. These should get you in the right mind set for Birmingham next month. In addition, we also include an update on E/M coding from Drs. Goodson and Miller, learn about knowledge and attitudes around marijuana by Drs. Knapp and Jindall.

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SGIM members continue to expose our trainees to a broad set of generalist careers, including ambulatory and hospital medicine and geriatrics. SGIM members also occupy the myriad careers that generalists can evolve into, including research, education, and leadership roles. With the annual meeting coming up in May, consider sponsoring a student or trainee to attend. There is no better way to catch the passion of general internal medicine than an SGIM National Meeting. In addition to the meeting, the SGIM Forum represents an excellent opportunity to showcase what a career in academic general medicine looks like and what we care about. This month’s Forum is a good reflection of the many topics and areas of interest to generalists and what is likely to be presented at the meeting. Dr. DeSalvo continues to address the issue of social determinates of health, the annual meeting’s theme, in her President’s column on how we can pay to address them. Dr. Allyn and colleagues report on an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to improve the care of patients with chest tubes. Dr. Anderson, et al, provide a conversation calling us to rekindle the age-old practice of bedside rounding. Rounding out the issue are two wonderfully written Breadth and Perspective pieces and a Morning Report.

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In this issue, we have a few headlines of our own. SGIM President Dr. Karen DeSalvo shares a column on the work of the SGIM Council regarding SGIM’s strategic plan, related metrics, and the resulting dashboard. Dr. DeSalvo, along with immediate past president, Dr. Corbie-Smith, CEO Dr. Eric Bass, Deputy CEO Kay Ovington, and the rest of the Council have shown true leadership in the choices they’ve made—choices that will move our Society forward and achieve its longterm goals. A must read for every SGIM member! We also have headlines about the use of telemedicine, medical education, social media, and the use of teaching champions as well.

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As we enter 2020, SGIM Forum continues to present a varied and outstanding collection of articles relevant to general internists whether they be clinicians, educators, researchers, or any combination. Eric Rosenberg starts us off with highlights of the upcoming national meeting in Birmingham. It’s a testimony to the hard work and ingenuity of the program Chairs and Planning Committee to consistently come up with a rich meeting agenda and program every year that is innovative and diverse. The 2020 meeting theme is “Just Care: Addressing the Social Determinants for Better Health.” SGIM President Karen DeSalvo continues, as she has all year, to make us aware of the importance of the social determinants of health. She reminds us of the need to unite with non-medical partners and accept being “the spoke to a partners hub.” In addition, Joseph Truglio and his colleagues describe the use of “anti-racist” techniques in selecting applicants for residency programs. This past year, Forum editors solicited articles for theme issues on topics such as gun violence and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). We plan future issues focused on the social determinants of health to coincide with the national meeting as well as on provider burnout for later in the year. These calls for papers have been very successful, and we are thankful for that. One of this month’s articles narrowly missed our POCUS theme issue in December. Noelle Northcutt and colleagues report on a faculty development training program for POCUS in a busy underserved setting. This month also features a letter from David Himmelstein and a response from Jade Bedell and Adam Block on their piece “Medicare for All 2020” published in the September 2019 Forum.¹ Both parties add further thoughtful commentaries regarding this important issue.

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