Why SGIM Is My (and Your) Professional Home—Career Development

As the end of summer approaches, so does the end of the SGIM fiscal year. Although membership renewal is in January, I reflect on the value of my SGIM membership at this point in the year and how it has been an investment in my own career development as the annual plans are being put into place. Career development is described as the “interactive progression of internal career identity formation and the growth of external career significance.”¹ Hans Hoekstra noted that throughout our careers, we must take on different roles: director, guide, maker, inspirator, expert, and presenter. The maker focuses on outcomes and attaining goals. The expert functions as a “go-to” problem solver. The presenter uses interpersonal communication skills and the guide uses influence to support others and their learning. The director and inspirator both embody their titles—the director harnesses the collective wisdom of the group to enact strategies and the inspirator focuses on values and principles to motivate change beyond the status quo.

SGIM has provided me and I hope all of you with a vehicle to develop professionally. I attended my first SGIM meeting as a resident in my hometown of Chicago in 1998 (#MyFirstSGIM). Being an active member since then, SGIM has provided numerous occasions to experience many of these roles. I assumed the expert and maker roles by serving as a former lead for the Minorities in Medicine Interest Group and the SGIM Disparities Education Symposium.² As a participant in our mentoring programs, a member of multiple annual program committees and as SGIM Secretary, I assumed the presenter and guide roles. Serving as SGIM President, chair of SGIM Council, and working alongside Eric Bass, SGIM CEO, as a Society representative, has given me the opportunity to experience the roles of inspirator and director. I am grateful for these opportunities as they have given me skills to use outside SGIM.

SGIM invests in the success of its members through various career development workshops, special symposia, and longitudinal programs that all combine in-meeting and between-meeting educational activities. As noted in previous issues, SGIM is finalizing the implementation of the learning management system, GIMLearn, to facilitate career development and the storage of many enduring artifacts.³ This long-term investment will benefit us all in our future career development. Our deepest appreciation goes to Margaret Lo, who now leads these efforts, Mitch Feldman, former Council member and initial leader of the Career Development Oversight Work Group, and Dawn Haglund, Director of Education, for motivating members and staff in their work to develop and implement this new career development tool.

Over the past few months, I asked you to focus on the skills necessary for ensuring resilience while facing the winds of change. I also challenged you to think about the need for “Love” and to show preparation, fortitude, and mutual support for each other. Further, we look forward to SGIM’s new program year and, as noted by the CEO’s Q &A in this issue of SGIM Forum, we are reviewing and committing to our activities of renewal.³ Each of these is part of our daily work as SGIM members and reflects how we demonstrate to our communities the different career roles of the academic general internists.

So, if you were to ask me whether my membership was/is worth it this year…the answer is yes.