ABMS Visiting

Scholars Program
The American Board of Medical Specialties
(ABMS) Visiting Scholars Program is a one-
year, part-time program that is intended to
provide exposure to the elds of professional
assessment and education, regulatory policy,
and quality improvement (QI) while promoting
research and scholarship in areas important to
the ABMS Member Boards Community.
Goals
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Contribute to the scholarship about innovations and best practices
of CPD, assessment, QI in patient care, and health policy
Help scholars develop their research skills and scholarship by
engaging in a research project that will be presented at an ABMS
conference and ultimately published in a peer-reviewed journal
Introduce scholars to health policy and the external environment
in which continuous certication of physicians occurs
Introduce scholars to the elds of assessment and continuous
professional development (CPD) of physicians throughout their careers
ABMS VI SI TI NG SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The goals of the ABMS Visiting Scholars Program are to:
Under the guidance of assigned mentors at the scholars current
clinical sites and from ABMS leadership, scholars will develop and
implement a research project that aligns their interests with those
of the ABMS Member Boards Community.
POTENTIAL RESEARCH AREAS INCLUDE:
QI in patient care
Improvement in medical practice
Health policy, including quality policy and
medical workforce policy
CPD
Assessment of knowledge, judgment and skills
Professionalism
Systems based practice
Communication
The project may build on existing research at the scholars
institutions. The ABMS Visiting Scholars Program will create
awareness of the organizations QI efforts within the ABMS
Member Boards Community and beyond.
Scholars will be expected to complete readings and other
background work during the year and will be asked to complete
periodic reections on their learning. They will be expected to
participate in three one-week programs during the year. These
programs will occur primarily in Chicago; however, other locations
may be identied based on ABMS conferences and workshops
occurring during the year. They will focus on leadership training
and program sessions on the various aforementioned topics.
Possible program sessions may include:
INTRODUCTION TO THE ABMS MEMBER BOARDS COMMUNITY
Meet with ABMS leadership; gain an introduction to the continuous
certication process and CPD; and understand issues impacting
ABMS and its Member Boards.
CPD Learn about the key issues in CPD; explore its future;
and discuss innovations and best practices.
HEALTH POLICY AND THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT Learn
about the issues and inuences in the health policy environment;
understand how various health care organizations (e.g., hospitals
and health systems, insurance companies and other payers and
credentialers) play a role in continuous certication; understand
the interests of the federal and state governments in the
discussion about quality and patient care; understand how health
policy impacts quality, safety, and the health care workforce.
QI Learn about QI methods and tools; understand the role of
QI in the clinical environment; review case studies and identify
potential opportunities for innovation and best practices.
INTRODUCTION TO ABMS ASSOCIATE MEMBER
ORGANIZATIONS Meet with leaders and staff from the American
Medical Association, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education,
American Hospital Association, and Council for Medical Specialty
Societies; understand their issues and strategic goals; learn how
these organizations inuence the continuous certication process;
consider ways to improve the effectiveness of training through
collaboration across the medical education continuum.
RESEARCH PLAN DEVELOPMENT Meet with mentors and
other ABMS leaders to develop research projects and plans;
understand outcomes and methodology; identify data sets and
other elements needed to complete research projects.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Attend
one ABMS Board of Directors meeting and one or more board
committee meetings relevant to the research topic area.
At the end of the 12 months, scholars are expected to present
their work at an ABMS conference and submit a paper for
publication to a peer-reviewed journal.
Program
ABMS VI SI TI NG SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The program is open to junior faculty including assistant
professors and instructors, fellows, residents, medical students,
public health students, and PhD students in health services
research and other relevant disciplines.
Three to ve scholars will be selected and notied in July.
Scholars will be awarded $12,500 to support their research
and travel for this program, which will begin in August.
Funds may only be used for direct costs of the program;
no funds can be allocated for Facilities and Administrative Costs.
Scholars will be selected based on the quality of their
personal statements, their research interests and the relevance
to the ABMS mission and strategic goals, and academic and
other experiences.
Applicants must submit the following
by June 30, 2014 to Marty Daiga,
Program Coordinator, Research
and Education Foundation,
at mdaiga@abms.org or
mail to ABMS headquarters:
Personal statement of 500 words or less describing
your interests and goals for the program including
thoughts regarding research focus
Current CV
Two to three letters of support including a letter of support
from your chair, associate dean, assistant dean, or residency
program director; a letter of support from a faculty member
who is interested in serving as a research mentor is also preferred
222 North LaSalle Street, Suite 1500 Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 436-2600 www.abms.org
ADDRESS AS OF MAY 19, 2014:
353 North Clark Street, Suite 1400 Chicago, Illinois 60654
Recruitment
& Selection
Application
Process
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ABMS VI SI TI NG SCHOLARS PROGRAM