Component societies are the foundation of our Mississippi State Medical Association. I recently visited the Prairie Medical Society for its fall meeting. Physicians from Columbus to Louisville to Macon shared a meal at Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point. We enjoyed hearing the stories of practicing medicine today and also about the strong relationships built over the years in the medical community around the Golden Triangle. Retired physicians and younger physicians discussed both the joys and sorrows of today’s medical practice. We discussed the latest topics and resolutions passed from the House of Delegates from our Annual Session in August and discussed legislative priorities for the upcoming 2023 legislative session. Our MSMA staff explained the upcoming CME educational events, website tools, and the available resources of our association.
According to the attendees, participation and attendance has suffered since the pandemic. The transition of physicians from inside the hospital to outside clinics has also reduced the communication and contact with each other. Time is limited and physicians are pulled in many directions with family, religious, and community obligations. One physician recalled that in the past, the Alliance of spouses played a critical role in organizing events and community service projects. Due to the numerous obligations of the physicians, communication between the spouses opened up the time in the family calendar in order to attend the component society meetings.
Participation at the meetings fuels the discussions and fosters the relationships with other physicians. It provides a network of referrals, establishes mentorships, and opens collaboration in the medical community. The component society also develops leaders that can serve our state association. Component societies choose delegates to the House of Delegates, submit nominees for committee membership, and nominate leaders for the Board of Trustees. If you have not attended a component society meeting this fall, contact our MSMA staff to find out the date of the next one for your society. If your component society does not have the time or administrative capability to organize the meeting, our MSMA staff can handle all of the administrative details for the meeting.
The message is quite simple. Attend the component society meetings, participate in the fellowship, and become a leader in your component society and in your MSMA. Invite a colleague and bring your spouse for a nice dinner among friends. If you allow it, participation in the component society can transform your medical career to not only serve the patients in your clinic, but also be the voice of physicians and patients in your community. Now is the time for leaders like you to step out in new ways and try something new.
“Don’t let yourself be. Find something new to try, something to change. Count how often it succeeds and how often it doesn’t. Write about it. Ask a patient or a colleague what they think about it. See if you can keep the conversation going.”
― Atul Gawande
