March 2019 Junior Fellow Update

The District I Junior Fellows have been very active. Our 2018 Junior Fellow and Medical Student Day, aka the Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Summit, was extremely successful, with more than 100 attendees. Our guest speaker, Dr. Jean Chamberlain, brilliantly discussed global maternal morbidity and mortality while our local speakers highlighted national issues including substance abuse during pregnancy. We had excellent breakout sessions on obstetric emergency simulations, advocacy, health disparities, and residency interviewing and a residency fair featuring ob-gyn programs in our District! Keep an eye out in August for our next fun- and education-filled day.

During our District I Annual Meeting, the Junior Fellows hosted a Step-a-thon Fundraiser Competition in which meeting attendees donated money based on the number of steps a Junior Fellow or Fellow obtained, which was 20,000 and 23,000 steps respectively. Overall, we have donated $540 to Independence House, a Cape Cod organization providing advocacy and resources for survivors of intimate partner violence.

Among our Sections, Junior Fellows are doing amazing things — such as the New Hampshire Section Junior Fellows, who developed a system to support residents and attendings to vote on Election Day while balancing patient care. Our Vermont Section successfully executed a state capitol advocacy day this year to engage residents in legislative advocacy.

We are developing a wellness residency packet for Junior Fellows featuring resident-inspired material. We would like to increase our presence in residency programs and are asking for each program to have a representative. Contact your local Junior Fellow Section leadership if interested!