Ten years ago, I joined ACLGIM as a newly minted division chief. I vividly recall attending the first Hess Institute and looking around saw very few women. Indeed, the room was mostly men and mostly Caucasian. The “L” in ACLGIM was just about a year old. ACLGIM began as an organization for division chiefs, however as some of these chiefs became vice chairs, chairs of medicine, and C-suite physician executives, it was important to continue to learn from them. At the same time, with the creation of programs like LEAD and UNLTD, the organization was also building future leaders.
Now, in 2021, I assume the role of ACLGIM President to serve the organization at the end of a once in a 100-year pandemic that upended our personal and professional lives. Contemplating this role, I looked back at my own growth as a leader and the pivotal role that ACLGIM has played in that development. It has taken ten years for me, and maybe my contemplation about how best to serve as President, that has led me to believe that this organization is the leadership home for all leaders in GIM. It does not matter if you lead a small Division or are a CMO, we welcome the breadth and depth of experiences. Younger leaders challenge existing norms and force us to think of creative solutions to existing problems. Also valuable are senior leaders’ wisdom, and we cannot afford to lose that viewpoint.
ACLGIM’s collective wisdom has the potential to persuade our individual institutions to provide Divisions of General Internal Medicine with the tools they need to build and sustain a successful academic program. So, I ask all the veteran ACLGIM members, to consider introducing us to emerging leaders in your Divisions. And to all leaders in GIM, who are not yet members of ACLGIM, I invite you to look at past Summit and Institute offerings and join us at one of our upcoming virtual events or meetings. ACLGIM is a warm, inclusive community and once you meet us, I am certain that you will find your leadership home here.
Anuradha Paranjape, MD, MPH
2022-2022 ACLGIM President