Psychiatr News December 2, 2005
Volume 40, Number 23, page 26
© 2005 American Psychiatric Association
INFORMATION ON THE CANDIDATES
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CANDIDATES FOR MEMBER-IN-TRAINING TRUSTEE-ELECT
Abigail L. Donovan M.D.
Psychiatry Resident,
Massachusetts General and McLean Hospitals, 2003-
Member-in-Training (Member Since 2005)
Coordinator and Advisor, Donald J. Cohen Fellowship, 2002-
Treasurer, Medical Student Psychiatry Association, 2001-03
M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, 2003
Codirector, Bioethics Seminar, Yale University, 2000
Community Service Coordinator, Putney Students and the Blackfeet Nation,
Mont., 1998 As a psychiatry resident, I am proud to work in an incredible
field at an exciting time. Yet, we face many challenges, not the least of
which is the stigma our patients experience: they aren't the cute babies of
pediatrics, the kindly grandmothers of internal medicine, or the peacefully
anesthetized patients of surgery. Our patients are the lost, the sad, the
angry, the frequently out of control: theirs are gifts harder to see.
As members-in-training, we face our own unique challenges: we must learn to
treat patients by integrating biologic and psychotherapeutic perspectives, to
navigate the world of managed care, and to focus not only on the services we
provide, but also on our education. Other challenges impact our professional
lives: the lack of funding for services needed by the homeless, minorities,
and all underserved populations; the need for cultural and gender awareness in
treatment; and the importance of advocating for our patients. As we approach
the day when we will become independent psychiatrists, we need to consider
various career alternatives, mental health treatment parity, and the
recruitment of bright medical students to psychiatry. If I have the chance to
be your representative, I will make these issues a prominent part of the
Board's agenda.
I bring unique qualifications to the position of member-in-training
trustee. As the treasurer for the student psychiatry association at my medical
school, I was responsible for all budgetary matters and for organizing
meetings, lectures, and educational activities. I understand the challenges
inherent in resolving diverse views and agendas. In college, I founded a
debate organization that taught public-speaking skills to disadvantaged youth.
I will use my own debate skills in presenting our ideas to the Board with
passion and clarity. And most importantly, I look forward to speaking with
residents from different programs to hear your thoughts and
concerns.
I am committed to the prominence of psychiatry in medical school education.
In medical school, I was the coordinator of a fellowship that paired medical
students with a psychiatrist mentor to follow a patient longitudinally for
four years. This year, I am a resident advisor for a comparable program in my
residency. I am committed to promoting similar fellowships across the country
and to securing APA support for them.
As a resident, I have worked at a publicly funded clinic, and I have seen
firsthand the need for increased services for the poor and severely ill. I
first saw this deficiency while working on the Blackfoot Reservation in
Montana organizing community service projects for adolescent volunteers. In
medical school, I was again struck by this harsh reality while volunteering at
a shelter for homeless youth. We need more education in how to advocate for
our patients and, using that education, we can work together to increase
expenditures for the homeless, marginalized, and severely ill.
This is an exciting time for APA, and the opportunities to make a positive
impact are numerous. I would be honored to serve as your MIT trustee, and, if
elected, I will strive to do the following:
- Communicate with residents across the country to hear your
thoughts and concerns.
- Create a seminar series on early career topics: board preparation,
setting up a practice, developing administration and supervision skills, and
financial planning.
- Improve resident education in patient advocacy, in order to aid our
sickest and most underserved patients.
- Encourage APA support for residents affected by disasters, including
Hurricane Katrina.
- Recruit young talent to the field of psychiatry, through programs
modeled on existing fellowships.
- Increase parity for mental health treatment reimbursement and
research funding.
PRIMARY PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND SOURCES OF INCOME
Professional Activities
50%—Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
50%—McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass.
Income
100%—MGH/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program
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American Psychiatric Association.
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